


The Life and Times of Zen & MC ... in New York City

by PennyLane4ever



Series: The Life and Times of Zen & MC [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Cute Zen | Ryu Hyun, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, I Love Zen | Ryu Hyun, Mystic Messenger - Freeform, Oral Sex, POV Zen | Ryu Hyun, RFA member side storylines, Romance, Straight Up Cheesy Romance, True Love, Young Love, Zen | The Beast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:33:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25138510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennyLane4ever/pseuds/PennyLane4ever
Summary: This story follows Zen and MC's life following Zen's marriage proposal. Zen has been offered a his dream job - a leading role on Broadway! How will moving to NYC affect the newly married couple? What adventures will they have? What new challenges will they face?
Relationships: Zen | Ryu Hyun/Main Character
Series: The Life and Times of Zen & MC [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821859
Comments: 35
Kudos: 67





	1. The Big Apple

The moment we stepped off the plane, I was in love, head over heels for the hustle and bustle that is New York City.

"Hey lady, hey lady," a young African American man with a huge nose ring and at least one sparkly ring for each finger rushed at me, waving a colorful flyer in my face. "You look like a lady with taste. You like drum n bass?"

I nodded, taking the proffered flyer.

"Yeah, yeah, I thought so… I could see it in the way you move," the young man said, flashing me a grin with twinkling eyes that danced in the direction of my backside.

"Come to our party then, lady… I promise it'll be hopping," he added, now full on looking me up and down appreciatively. "And it's free for ladies, especially good looking ladies, like yourself."

Zen came up behind me just then wrangling the luggage. "Hey, hey, hey…" the actor said with a cross and suspicious look on his face. "What have we got here?" He said, opting for a protective tone of voice.

"Oh well, uh, hey…" the man said, running one hand through his short dark hair. He looked Zen up and down in disbelief. "Yo, man… what's up with your eyes?"

I had to stifle a giggle. Yeah, I remembered reading that about New York and New Yorkers, how they really don't have any trouble sharing exactly what's on their minds. They tend to just tell it like it is, no matter how abrupt, no matter how rude it might sound coming out. Zen looked confused and taken aback.

"Yeah, um, damn," Zen said, blinking. "This is me." The way Zen said it and the way he stepped back made it look like he expected to be recognized. But this was New York, not South Korea and the look on the young man's face made it obvious the legend of Zen hadn't made it this far.

"Damn is right," said the man. "That shit just ain't natural."

"He's albino," I said, chipping in by way of explanation. "You know, it's an inherited condition… his body lacks pigmentation. He was born that way."

"Uh huh," the man said, doubtfully and then looked me up and down again in question. "And he's with _you_?"

"Yeah she's with me," Zen said, openly snapping now. He stepped between us, red eyes blazing.

"OK, man," the man said, backing up and waving Zen off with a hand.. "No need to get tough. I just don't see it, that's all."

"Well, you don't see love with your eyes, you see it with your heart," Zen quipped a little nastily. "And in my case, that's a two-for… Looks and heart, if you had any taste." Zen pulled at my arm angrily. "Come on, MC, let's get out of here."

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders at the man, giving him a look like well-what-can-you-do as Zen pulled me away backwards.

"Damn, what's with that guy?" Zen said, his eyebrows knitted in a frown.

"Zen, honey, they just don't know you here…" I said, carefully. "Yet… They don't know you here yet."

"Obviously," Zen huffed, blowing some long ultra blond hair out of his face. "He seemed to want to know you, though."

"Uh, he was just being friendly," I said.

"Hmm," Zen said, looking me up and down. "Do you think maybe that top is too low cut? Maybe you shouldn't wear that shirt."

"Oh, come on, Zen," I said. "You were fine with it until now."

"Yeah, I was fine with it until it started drawing all this unwanted attention," he said. I turned around and forced him to stop.

"Babe," I said, taking both hands and looking into his eyes. "You've got nothing to worry about, OK?"

Zen eyed me dubiously.

"Seriously," I said. "I love you, only you. Besides," I said, swatting him playfully on the arm. "What did I say about jealousy?"

Zen sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's unbecoming," he said, reluctantly.

"Yeah, that's right," I said. "What else?"

Zen sighed again, running one hand through his silver hair. "That you really don't like it."

"That's right," I said. "I really don't like it."

"Ok, ok," Zen said, sulking a bit. "Fine."

We walked on through the airport until we got to the AirTrain, and then took the Airtrain to the subway. It was rush hour and so swarms of people were snaking around us as we studied a map on the wall.

"We need to get to Penn Station," Zen said, studying some notes on his phone. "Kelly said they hooked us up at some fancy posh place right in the heart of Manhattan."

Kelly was Zen's manager and probably one of the crankiest, snottiest women I've ever met. She was in her mid-forties, wore her hair in a neat bleach blond bob and would never be caught dead without her false eyelashes and full make up. Kelly was all about image and her look was put-together-perfect. I'd never seen her with as much as chipped nail polish. So if she said we were staying in a posh hotel, it was probably more than posh.

"OK, then," Zen said, tracing his finger along a route. "Here it is." He looked up, bringing a slender finger to his red lips as he surveyed the scene. I couldn't help but notice the way he was slightly biting his lower lip. Damn, he was hot. All this time and I still just couldn't get over how hot he was. I smiled to myself. Yeah, and now he was my fiance.

It had only been a few days since Zen had proposed to me during a surprise picnic at his special place and I was still flying high on cloud nine. I still remembered how exhilarating it was to share the news with the rest of the RFA. Apparently, Saeyoung, Sarean and Jumin already knew Zen was going to propose, but it was news to the rest of the crew. That night I couldn't wait to get online and tell everyone in the chatroom we were getting married.

Yoosung: Oh MC! ^^

Yoosung: [happy emoji]

Yoosung: See? I told you Zen wasn't tired of you!

Saeyoung: Yeah, as if…

Jaehee: Seven, you knew?! I cannot believe you would keep this important news from me.

Saeyoung: Yeah, and you almost spilled the beans.

Sarean: Yeah, as in big time.

MC: Yes, I was wondering what you were going on about, asking me to sign those forms…

Saeyoung: Luckily I am smooth like butter and changed the subject…

Jaehee: All of this could have been avoided had you just kept me in the loop.

Jaehee: I should know these things if I am ever expected to DO MY JOB

Zen: Look I just wanted MC to be able to share some of the news herself…

Jaehee: Well, I AM happy for you

Jaehee: Not that being married is going to do anything positive for your reputation

Jaehee: Or make my job any easier

Jaehee: [frustrated emoji]

Yoosung: MC ^^

Yoosung; I am literally in tears over here.

Jumin: Yes, I am pleased as well. If it couldn't be me, at least…

Zen: JUMIN! Let's not go there, OK?

Zen: I am trying to see if I can make it 24 hours without wanting to wring your neck, OK Dick Trust?

Jumin: Ah yes, good idea Zen … best to stay on my good side

Jumin: Considering I am the closest thing you have to a father right now

Zen: Damn! I just asked you to stand in for the Eui Hon, that's it!

Zen: [angry emoji]

Jumin: And you need funds for your wedding...

Zen: Ok, damn…. Can't even make it 24 hours…

MC: Please gentlemen, stand down… it's a happy occasion

I sighed. Those two. Zen and Jumin. I guess I always knew they were always going to be at each other's throats on some level.

That was two days ago and now we were in New York. Zen had been offered the lead in a Broadway Play - basically his dream. The director wanted to see Zen in person before making the final offer and so we decided to make a trip of it. We were going to stay a week and then head back to South Korea to get married. My head was spinning because it was all happening so fast. If Zen did get the part, which Kelly seems to think he's a shoo in, we'd have to turn around and more to New York for the duration. Wow. If everything goes to plan, I could be Mrs. Hyun Ryu in less than a month, which suits me just fine.

"OK," Zen said, squeezing my shoulder. "Here we are… This is our stop." We were on the subway, headed downtown and I braced myself as the train came to a halting screech. A heartbeat later I held my bag close to my chest and let Zen pull me through a sea of people - young, old, black, white, you name it - toward the open doors.

"You OK there, Princess?" Zen said, looking tenderly down on me as we stood on the platform.

I nodded. "Yeah, my lovely Zen," I smiled. "I'm good." How could I not be, in the presence of this god?

"You're too cute," he said, smiling and coloring a little in the cheeks. "Now stop being so cute _here_. Wait until we get to the hotel at least."

I smiled again and bit my bottom lip just to watch him squirm under heavy lidded eyes. _You_ , his eyes playfully seethed. _What am I going to do with you?_

 _Whatever you want,_ my dark eyes seethed back.

Zen raised his eyebrows and broke into a wide sultry grin. "Come on, Princess," he said, pulling me along faster. "Let's go find that hotel."

We'd only really been dating about a year, but we'd already established our own unspoken language. I loved our series of little looks and touches, all the shared inside knowledge of each other we'd weaved into the makeup of our own intimate experience. It was so "us". I loved that we had an "us". An "us" so strong that nobody could break it, Not even Echo Girl.

Speaking of Echo Girl it was so much fun watching her reaction to the news of our engagement play out in the media. For the past several days, Zen's proposal had been one of the top stories circulating in the entertainment and celebrity cycles. For once, I beamed when I saw photos of us plastered across the front page of the entertainment news magazine Enquire. I bet Echo Girl was not feeling so lucky. The history of the "More Than Friends Triangle" meant that, like it or not, she was part of the narrative of our love story, playing the part of the bitter jilted party. Pictures of her consisted of her holding a hand in front of her face, a shrieking "no comment" frozen on her ruby red lips. The entertainment news show on the Korea Now Network, Star, had even caught Echo Girl outside her Seoul salon soliciting her for comment.

"I really don't have anything to say," Echo Girl said, her whole face contorted into a look of bitter outrage. "Zen and what's her name? Well, I hope they're happy and rot in hell together. The way I see it, losers deserve losers."

"Yes, but weren't you the one cut from the show?" A perky blond newscaster asked, boldly pointing her microphone right in Echo Girl's face. Echo Girl's jaw dropped as if she'd been slapped.

"Yes, well technically, but…" Echo Girl stuttered, but was ultimately unable to finish her sentence, so the perky blond went on.

"And, aren't you the one who's still currently out of work? I mean, I heard Zen is headlining a show on Broadway…." The blond newscaster cocked her head to one side, microphone still poised, still waiting for an answer. Echo Girl just glared and glared. If looks could kill…

"I think this is it…" Zen said, breaking me out of my reverie. We had emerged from the subway station and were now standing on a busy street. Zen motioned me to look up at a tall building across the street, which seemed to stretch endlessly up into the sky. The style of the building was Art Deco, complete with tall narrow windows framed by ornate designs. It was striking.

"Wow," I breathed, awestruck. "I can see why they call them skyscrapers."

"Damn," Zen said. "Kelly wasn't joking."

"She never is," I replied, watching as patrons more fancy and well-to-do than I had possibly ever seen climbed the red carpeted steps. I watched with my mouth half open as they paused to let the doorman open the gold lament doors before they glided inside. Some people just lived like this, I thought. This is their everyday life. Their version of normal.

"I'm not so sure about this," I said, looking down at my jeans and high top sneakers. Zen put an arm around me and squeezed,

"You're perfect," he said, meaning it. I smiled, revelling in the fact that our relationship had seemed to evolve to include mindreading, and that I didn't mind that he seemed to know my every thought. I took his hand and squeezed.

"You know why they call this place 'The Big Apple', right?" Zen quipped.

"Uh, no," I said, "But I bet you're going to tell me." Zen smiled and pulled me closer as one of the doorman held the door for us and we walked through,

"The term actually originated in New Orleans," Zen started, happy to be the bearer of knowledge. "Jockeys training to race horses in the early twentieth century always talked about going to New York where all the prominent races were… they called it the 'big apple' because of the big prizes you could win there."

"Oh," I said, surprised and a bit impressed. "Is that so? Not at all what I expected."

"Yeah, well, New York has a lot of nicknames, actually," Zen went on. "The City That Never Sleeps, Gotham, Empire City,..."

"Don't forget 'The City of Dreams'," I said, turning to poke him in the ribs. "Your dream, especially."

Zen smiled and bent down to kiss me. "You're my dream, Princess," he said.

Pretty soon we were in the elevator and rising to the penthouse suite on the 17th floor of the Hotel Burlesque. The elevator was made entirely of glass and I gasped as we rose up the center of the lobby, watching the other patrons turn to ants as we ascended all the way to the top.

"Here we are," the doorman said ambiably as the elevator dinged to a stop and the doors slid open. He led us down a richly carpeted hallway to two double doors crested with the head of a gold lamet lion. The doorman slid the card key through the reader and the doors swung open to reveal a very large foray that led into a large series of open floor plan rooms. The entire outer wall of the suite was made of clear glass - because who needs curtains when you're this high up - that looked out onto the city landscape.

"Oh my god," I gasped. "Is that the Brooklyn Bridge?"

"Yes," the doorman said, arranging our suitcases near a sizable walk-in closet.

"This is amazing," I said, literally at a loss for words.

"Damn," Zen said just as much in awe. "I think this place is bigger than my apartment."

"You think?" I laughed. "Definitely bigger than your apartment."

The doorman made a noise, sort of a clearing of the throat and Zen popped to attention.

"Oh yeah," he said, reaching into a pocket. "Thanks, man." Zen said, pressing some worn bills into the other man's hand. The doorman smiled, turned on his heel and left.

"Where'd you get that?" I said, curious. I didn't see Zen pick up any American money.

"Kelly," Zen said, smiling. "She thinks of everything."

"Yes, she does," I said. Think what you want about snobby. Kelly knew her shit and she was great at her job.

I caught Zen looking at me then. His eyes were heavy lidded and he was regarding me with half-parted lips.

"You know you can be too cute now, right?" He said, breaking into a half smile and walking toward me. He put his long arms around my waist and pulled me close. "You know, I'm so glad you're here," he said into my ear. I could feel his hot breath on my neck and I felt my own breath catch in my throat. I closed my eyes and lifted my head for the kiss. It was warm, soft, searching.

"I love you, MC," Zen whispered somewhere into my hair, "So much."

"Mmm…" I moaned back as I felt Zen's lips slide to my collarbone and begin to kiss that spot that drives me wild. I let my hands slide from the back of his neck to his waist and then up underneath his tee-shirt, running my fingers over the taut muscles of his back.

"Take this off…" I said in a low whisper, tugging on the edges of the shirt, I watched as he stepped back and ripped the shirt off over his head, revealing his porcelain god chest.

"Beautiful," I breathed, stepping forward to place my hands on his chest.

"You like what you see, Princess?" Zen said, He had his fingers in my long hair and then he was pulling my face to his again.

"I love what I see," I said as his lips crushed mine. Moments later he was picking me up and walking me backwards to a big round bed positioned on a platform.

"Damn," Zen breathed. "Can you believe this place?"

"Mmmm," I said. The bed was a bit ostentatious with its white satin sheets and fluffy pillows. The bedspread was embroidered with gold lamet patterns of cupids and flying horses, Draped over top the whole bed was a gauzy canopy, "Well, at least it's not heart-shaped…"

"Or vibrating…" Zen said and we both fell back on the bed laughing. When our laughter subsided, I rolled over on top of him.

"Zen, baby," I said. "It's a bit cheesy, but it's perfect. You're perfect. I've never felt so happy."

I kissed him again in earnest, using my tongue to probe his mouth. He tasted sweet with traces of the sharp acidity of the pineapple juice he had on the plane. I let my hands rove over his body, exploring his naked chest, marveling at the perfect curvature to his muscles. My lovely Zen. My beloved fiance.

"Oh Princess," Zen moaned, eyes closed, head back. "MC…."

Zen's hands were back in my hair and then sliding down my back. "You're too dressed," he breathed, tugging at the bottom of my tee-shirt. I sat up in response, straddled him and lifted the shirt over my head, tossing it to the floor. I watched his heavy lidded eyes as I reached around and unclasped my bra. The sight of my bare breasts seemed to unleash something in Zen. He sat me up so quickly and rolled me over on my back in one motion that I gasped.

"Oh, it's the beast…" I teased, biting my bottom lip for good measure. There was a deep growl and a flash in his red eyes and then his hands and mouth were all on me at once. Heat was building deep in my belly, my thighs and I squirm with pleasure under his touch.

"Oh Hyun," I breathed as I felt his breath graze my nipples and then grow hard and erect in response to his kisses.

"You're so beautiful," Hyun Ryu breathed into my skin. "So beautiful and you're all mine." I felt his fingers searching for mine and for a moment he sat up bringing my left hand ring finger to his lips. "All mine," he said again, pressing the engagement ring to his lips. He was staring at me with an almost otherworldly intenseness.

"Yes," I said, feeling something deep and powerful swirl in me. "I'm all yours."

Slowly Zen leaned forward and started to kiss me again, each kiss a kind of promise as to what kind of man he would be for me always. I was feeling him everywhere, in my legs, my knees, my toes. It was as if all his love was coursing, pulsing its way through my body leaving an electric current in its wake, all of it feeding a white hot heat that was forming a deep warm swirl building in my groin. I was growing hungry with the need for him.

"Hyun," I said, my dark eyes pleading and I began to fumble with the button on my jeans. I wanted him so bad, needed him so much inside me now. Zen bent over me to help, working his expert fingers with the button and the zipper. Then he was pulling my jeans and my panties over my hips, leaving me completely exposed.

"God, you're beautiful," Zen said, pausing to take in my naked body. Purposely I spread my legs so he could see the glistening there. He took in a sharp breath and let out a weak moan.

"God, Princess," he said, moving forward. I stopped him with a foot to his chest and he paused.

"No, not yet," I said, glancing at his remaining clothes. "Your turn."

I watched with anticipation as he wriggled out of his jeans and boxer shorts. I let my gaze fall on his penis, full, fat and erect. Sitting up, I went to it, wrapping first my fingers around the shaft, then my mouth around the tip.

"Mmm…." Zen moaned as my tongue circled the tip, lapping up the bit of salty precum that was forming there. Then I began to take him into my mouth an suck. Bit by bit, I took more of him into my mouth, opening my throat a bit to accommodate the length of him.

"Oh god, Princess," Zen said. Out of the corner of my eye I could see his beautiful head was back and his eyes were closed. With my free hand I reached up and tugged the back of his ponytail,

"Oh damn," Zen whimpered and I think I felt him grow even harder in my mouth. Slowly, I began to work my way around the shaft and I could feel his hands in my hair again guiding himself deeper into my mouth.

"Oh babe, oh I..." Zen said, and then suddenly he backed away, pulling himself out of my mouth. "I don't want to cum yet… no, not yet."

Zen flashed me a devilish smile and then he was crawling on top of me again, kissing me hard on the mouth. His fingers were sliding down the length of my body and then they were between my legs. I writhed beneath his touch as his long fingers stroked my outer lips, slicking them with my moisture.

"Princess, you're so wet," Zen sighed and he stopped kissing me long enough to bring two fingers to his lips. Never breaking my gaze, he stuck those fingers straight into his mouth, sucking them to taste me. "Mmmm," he said, closing his eyes. "Delicious."

I felt my cheeks flush, my heart beating out of my chest. Yeah, I was a bit embarrassed, but also incredibly turned on. Before I could think too much about it, Zen was crawling down my body and before I could gasp I felt his whole face crash my pussy. His tongue expertly licked and lapped the folds of my lips filling my body with heat and my mind with colorful sensation.

"Oh, Zen…." I said, moaning half out of my mind. "Please…"

In response I felt his two fingers slip inside, slightly at an angle curled up at the tips to hit the spot he knew would undo me, I raised my hips up off the bed, made an attempt to cry, but no sound came out. Yes, it felt that good. I could hear Zen chuckle.

"Damn, I love all the little noises you make - and don't make - Princess," he whispered. "So. Fucking. Sexy."

He began moving his fingers back and forth and I began rocking to his rhythm, every cell in my body attuned to his motions.

"Oh god, oh Zen…" I breathed, finally finding my voice as my body worked toward climax.

"You're so fucking beautiful, babe," Zen said, encouragingly. "Come for me, sweetie…. And say my name while you do it…"

Zen quickened his pace and I bucked harder in response. The sensations, they kept building, coming harder, faster and closer together now, until finally, deep in my belly I felt something curling, uncoiling….

"Oh Hyun…." I whispered at first, licking my lips, and then I got lounder. "Hyun… Hyun… Hyun…" I called, almost chanted. My eyes were closed now and I could only see the colors only feel the pulsating heat building between my legs. I needed… I needed…. "Oh god, oh HYUN!" I shrieked as the cord snapped inside me… and then I was cumming, exploding really, all over Zen's face.

When it was over, Zen lifted his face from between my legs almost laughing. "Damn, babe," he said, smiling, so proud of himself. "That was epic." Then he was crawling up my body and kissing me again. "You're a dirty little pretty girl, aren't you?"

In response, I reached down and felt his hardness pressing into my leg. I wrapped my whole hand around it, squeezing and circling my thumb around the wet tip.

"Now this," I said, commanded, my dark brown eyes piercing his fiery red ones.

Zen did not need to know what "this" meant. He already knew. Before I could blink he was up in a flash and fumbling in the suitcase for a condom. Then he was coming back, ripping the condom open with his teeth and sliding it down his erect shaft all in one motion.

"You ready for this, Princess?" He said, his red dark eyes hungry as he positioned himself over me. I nodded and felt him enter me, hard and all at once. I gasped.

"Ohhh," I breathed and shivered feeling the full shape of him inside of me, filling me completely. Then we started to move, up, down, back and forth together, gasping and sweaty and sweet.

"I love you, Zen," I said, tears eeking out the corners of my eyes. "I really do. Oh god!"

I shuddered as I felt him hit the sweet spot deep inside of me, the one that makes me see bright orange.

"You like that, don't you Princess?" Zen whispered darkly into my ear. "Well, how about this, Pretty Girl?" He thrust and hit it again, precise and positively punishing. I arched my back and buried the back of my head into the pillow in response.

"Oh! YES!" I seethed rapt in total undeniable pleasure.

Zen was picking up the pace now and he had his thumb on my clit, making mad little wild circles. The look on his face was very serious, very intent.

"Come on, baby," he said, sweat beading on his forehead.. "Come on, cum for me now..."

Gripping handfuls of sheets on both sides of me, I closed my eyes and gave into all the sensations. One, two, three more thrusts and I was there, all at once exploding from the inside out like a bursting rainbow, incoherent in my verbal responses, a withering, dripping mess.

"Ohh Ohhh Ohhh … Arghhhhh!" I cried.

"That's it, Princess," Zen said, and then he chuckled a bit. "God, I love it when you go non-verbal…"

Then almost as if on cue, I felt Zen begin to come, too. First I felt his stomach tighten and then another one, two, three quick thrusts later, there he was, lost, shooting himself deep inside me and crying out my name, gripping the satin sheets in fists on either side of my body.

Moments later he collapsed on top of me, both us quaking, shivering messes.

"Oh damn," he said as he finally began to catch his breath. "How is this possible? It just keeps getting better."

I smiled and bit my lower lip. "Yes," I said, reaching up both hands to stroke his face. "It really does."


	2. Making Friends and Influencing People

Zen woke up early the next morning feeling groggy. He glanced at the clock on the hotel's bedside table. It read 7am. Zen sighed. 7am in New York meant that it was, he glanced at the watch on his wrist, wow, 8pm in Seoul. Damn, he'd lost nearly a whole day. No wonder he felt like crap. He glanced down at MC, who was still dead asleep. She was wearing one of his old tee-shirts with no panties, as she was accustomed to do, and so twisted up in the sheets Zen wondered how she could possibly be comfortable. Still, her angelic face was completely peaceful. Zen walked over to her side of the bed, unable to resist brushing some of her dark hair from her forehead.

"So gorgeous," Zen whispered as he bent over and planted a kiss on MC's forehead. His heart surged. In moments like these he felt so full of love for her that he thought his heart might burst out of his chest. It was times like these that he felt indescribable levels of joy, love, and contentment, but then sometimes these feelings were followed by something darker. What if he lost her? Whenever Zen had this thought it struck a nagging fear into his heart that made him feel helpless. "Damn," Zen thought to himself now and whenever he was confronted with this vulnerability. "I'm a goner."

In an effort to shake the thought away, Zen walked into the bathroom to splash some water on his face and take a long look in the mirror. It just wasn't going to happen. MC wasn't going to leave him. She loved him too much. They'd been through too much. They were soul mates. They belonged together. Zen gripped the counter and continued to stare in the mirror, telling himself these things until he felt a sense of reassurance return. Damn, he thought, I'll just have to make sure I go out of my way to give her everything she deserves. If I am always reminding her of my love, surely she will never forget it.

So emboldened, Zen got dressed and wrote a note to his sleeping beauty. He wrote that he had an errand to run and he'd be back soon. He signed it with a looping heart and an "x" for a kiss. Just as he was walking out the door, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Zen picked it up on the first ring.

"Hello?" Zen said.

"Heya Big Shot!" It was Seven's voice on the other end of the line. "How's the Big Apple treating ya? Thought you were going to call when you made it in."

Zen sighed. "Oh yeah, well sorry, dude" he said, running a hand through his silver hair. "We, uh, you know, got distracted."  
"Uh huh," Seven said with a knowing snort. "Distracted my ass. So what's the place like?"

"It's good," Zen said. "Great, actually, The company really went all out hooking us up… I mean, you would not believe this hotel room."

"Well that's the way it works... You're a big shot now, Big Shot, so get used to it," Seven said. "What are you up to now?"

"Well, I'm going out in search of some red bean curd for MC," Zen said.

"Red bean curd?" Seven said, sounding confused. "Oh no, don't tell me she's one of those…"

"Superstitious?" Zen said, chuckling with fondness remembering some of MC's past more ludicrous mystical inclinations, like the time she gave a handkerchief to Echo Girl as a sort of ill wish. "Yeah, well, she's got a little bit of that going, yeah."

"OK, so what's the red bean curd for?" Seven asked.

Zen sighed. "Well, it's Tuesday, and well, uh, MC has a thing about Tuesdays."

"Gotta ward of the evil of a Tuesday?" Seven said, incredulously. "God. And you're going to go find this thing for her? In New York City?" Seven snorted.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I am," Zen said. Wow, yeah, he hadn't really thought about how hard that might be,

"Wow, you really are whipped," Seven said.

"Whipped?" Zen said.

"As in 'pussy whipped'... " Seven said. "Damn it, Zen, do you even know where to find Bean Curd in New York? It's a total Asian thing you know, and well, you're in America."

Hmm. Seven had a point. Zen didn't have a clue where to look for red bean curd in New York. "Uh, yeah, well, I guess I didn't think that far ahead."

"Well, it's a good thing I called then now, isn't it?" God Seven said, laughing. Zen could already hear him typing away on his keyboard. "Ah, here we go, you're in luck."

"Yeah?" Zen said.

"Yeah, there's a little Korean community in a place called Queens," Seven said.

"Queens?" Zen said. "Is that in New York?"

"Yeah," Seven said. "It's basically a neighborhood." Zen could hear more typing. "Ok, yeah, so looks like your best bet is to get in a taxi,..."

Zen scribbled the directions Seven was giving him down on one of the hotel pads, It was to a Korean bakery in Queens, who supposedly sold the best red bean curd buns on the East Coast.

"Ok gotcha man, thanks!" Zen said, grateful for his hacker friend on the other side of the world.

Soon Zen was down the elevator, through the lobby and then out on the street. The actor couldn't help but wonder, as he stood on the street corner trying to hail a taxi, how he had gotten this far without a single fan approaching him for an autograph or a selfie. It was like he didn't even exist. Maybe MC was right. He may be a big star in South Korea, but nobody really knows him here. Not yet, anyway.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, one of the yellow taxis pulled up to the curb. "Where to?" The gruff voice asked when Zen opened the door.

Zen folded himself into the backseat and gave the address Seven had given him to the driver. The driver grunted and then stepped on the gas so hard Zen felt his head hit the back of the seat. Quite honestly, the drive was terrifying. Zen gripped the handle on the door hard as the driver weaved in and out of traffic.

"First time to New York, eh?" The driver said with a hearty chuckle from the front seat. Zen caught the driver looking at him via the rearview mirror, possibly amused by Zen's fearful look. The driver was a big man with a dark bushy mustache.

"Yeah," Zen said, trying to sound calm. "I'm here on business."

"Yeah?" the cabbie said. "What kind of business?"

"Show business," Zen said, proudly. "I'm an actor, going to be on Broadway."

"No kidding!" the cabbie said, moving to turn around. Zen didn't want him to turn around. He wanted him to keep his eyes on the road.. "You famous or something then?"

Zen felt himself blush a bit. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," Zen said, white knuckling the handle as the cab made a sharp right. "I've been in quite a few productions back home, but this is my first show in America."

"Well, then, that's great," the cabbie beamed. "I wish you the best of luck, then."

Finally the cab came to a screeching halt. "OK, there's your bakery, hot shot," the cabbie said. Grateful to be alive, Zen paid and thanked the driver, and then got out.

The bakery was smaller than Zen expected. Unassuming for a spot that claimed to have the best red bean curd buns on the East Coast, Zen thought. Chin Sun Little Seoul was really no bigger than the walk-in closet in the hotel room. It was a simple plain brick storefront with a counter and two small tables. A young girl with a short pixie cut, about 18, was sitting behind the register flipping through a magazine, while an older woman was shoveling red bean curd buns into the display case. Zen inhaled a whiff of fresh baked bun and felt his mouth begin to salivate.

"Mmmm, damn those smell good!" Zen said, breaking into a smile.

The girl looked up from her magazine and her mouth instantly dropped. "Oh my god," she said, reaching to pull at the old woman's sleeve. "Halmoni… Halmoni... Look!"

The old woman looked up at Zen and made no expression. "What is it dear?" the woman said in Korean to the girl.

"Halmoni," the young woman said, her brown eyes now large and round as saucers. "Don't you know who this is?"

"No darling," the old woman replied, chuckling. "Obviously someone important though, no?"

"Halmoni, this is ZEN!" the young girl cried. "You know, from _More Than Friends_? It's the Zen!"

"Oh!" the old woman said as recognition finally flickered into her face. "Wow! The actor Zen in my shop!"

Zen was completely taken aback. After so much anonymity he'd experienced in New York City so far, he was unprepared for this.

"Uh, yeah, hi," Zen said, smiling amiably. "It's nice to meet you."

The young girl was fumbling around for her phone. "Oh my god, Halmoni, where is my phone? I need a picture of this!" The young girl's face was bright red, like a beet. "Oh, Zen... can I call you that? Oh my god, can I get a picture?"

Zen smiled. "Of course you can, uh, call me that," he said, stepping forward. "And you can have a picture. I'd be delighted, actually."

"Choon-hee, I will go find your phone while you talk to the nice young man," the grandmother said as she bustled off.

For a moment Choon-hee and Zen just stood silently looking at each other. The young girl - Choon-hee red-faced and beaming and the actor Zen pleasantly smiling while wracking his brain for a way to break the awkward silence.

"I hear you have the best red bean curd buns on the East Coast," Zen said, finally filling the void.

"Oh yes," Choon-hee said, gratefully. "The recipe has been in our family for generations." She turned around and fumbled for a bun, pushing it toward Zen. "Oh please, take one… taste one now and you'll agree you've never had a better bun."

Zen took the proffered bun and raised it to his lips. He took a bite. It was delicious, and he didn't have to lie. It was one of the most delicious red bean curd buns he'd ever tasted.

"Mmm," Zen said. "Delicious. Certainly has to be the best on the East Coast."

"If you don't mind me asking," Choon-hee said, changing the subject. "What are you doing here in New York?"

"Oh, I'm here for a part on Broadway," Zen said.

"No kidding!" Choon-hee said, her face exploding into an expression of unbridled glee. "I had no idea!"

Zen motioned to the open magazine on the counter. "But don't you read the news?"

"Oh yes," Choon-hee replied. "But this issue is more than a week old. Since we're all the way here in America, I rarely get the current news. I mean, I knew _More Than Friends_ was recently canceled, but I haven't heard anything about what's next for you,"

"This opportunity on Broadway is very new," Zen said. "I don't even know how much I'm supposed to talk about it yet."

"That's OK," Choon-hee replied. "Will you be living here now?"

"Probably at least for the duration of the production," Zen said.

"Is MC with you?" Choon-hee said, her cheeks coloring again. "Sorry, I had to ask."

"Yes, she's here, asleep at the hotel at the moment," Zen said. "In fact, that's why I'm here. You see, MC eats red bean curd for breakfast every Tuesday... It's kind of her thing."

"Oh right!" Choon-hee said. "What a good boyfriend you are, going so far out of your way to get her her favorite thing."

Zen smiled. "Yeah, that's what I was hoping," he said, pausing. "Oh, and maybe you haven't heard this yet either, but she's my fiance now."

Choon-hee's whole face lit up. "Oh wow! You're getting married! Congratulations," she said. "I'm so happy for you…." she blushed. "Well, mostly. Of course you know this news will make a lot of fans a little sad, too."

Zen shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," Zen said, giving her a look like but-what-can-you-do?

Choon-hee's grandmother came back just then with the camera and Zen posed for a few pictures with Choon-hee.

"You know Hei-Ran is never going to believe me," Choon-hee said. "That's why I need the pictures."

"You know it was really nice to get recognized," Zen said as the grandmother packed up a box of red bean curd buns. "You know, you're the first person to recognize me since I've been here."

Choon-hee smiled. "Well, since you're going to be in town, you have to come back, yes?" Choon-hee blushed again. "We can be your supplier for red bean curd buns while you're here.,.. You should bring MC next time!"

"Yes, yes, of course," Zen said as Choon-hee handed him the box of buns. "Thank you so much." Zen reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. Choon-hee waved him off.

"Oh no, we couldn't," she said, "First one's free."

Zen shrugged and stuffed the cash back in his pocket. "Ok," he said, "That's very generous, but when I come back next time with MC, we pay, OK?"

"Deal," Choon-hee smiled and stuck out her hand. Zen shook it.

"Thanks again," Zen said as he turned to walk out of the shop. "See you soon."

Zen had to admit he felt a little lighter walking out of the shop. It was good to get recognized. He didn't realize how much he missed it. Damn, he thought to himself, I really am a bit of a narcissist.

When Zen got back to the hotel room, MC was awake and in the shower. From the doorway he could hear her singing in her clear strong sweet voice.

"Your beauty is beyond compare / with flaming locks of auburn hair…"

Zen sighed and walked toward the bathroom door, which had been left ajar. Pausing, he let his forehead rest on the door jam and just listened. She was singing one of her favorites by Dolly Parton.

"With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green / Your smile is like a breath of spring"

It wasn't that long ago that Zen found out what a lovely singing voice MC had, and that she could also play a kick ass guitar. One night they - Zen, MC and a few of the RFA members - went out for karaoke and MC just took a turn and belted it. Zen smiled, remembering. She sang "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen, for him. He remembered her sitting on his lap, little hands wrapped around his neck. She mesmerized him with her gaze, sang straight into his heart. He remembered wanting to take her then and there, and might have, too had Seven, LeeAnn and Yoosung not been in the room. Yeah, he'd loved MC already hook, line and sinker. He had no idea that there could have been anything that would make him love her more. But, yeah, the fact that MC was a badass musician, only tied her more to his soul.

"Your voice is soft like summer rain / and I cannot compete with you Jolene"

Quietly as possible, Zen kicked off his shoes and removed his jacket. Then he gently pushed open the bathroom door. MC was still in the shower with her back to the door and lost in her singing, so she didn't hear him come in. As quietly as he could, Zen got undressed and then pulled open the shower door.

"Argh!" MC stopped mid-chorus, shrieked and turned around. When she saw Zen standing there, a frozen look of fear on his face, she started to laugh.

"Oh damn, Princess," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Jesus, Zen," she said, her brown eyes twinkling. Zen couldn't help but think about how gorgeous she looked, all sopping wet, her long hair in twisted ribbons, water streaming in rivets over and around the curves of her body. "You could have been a stalker. Or that creepy doorman."

"I know, I'm so sorry, Princess," Zen said, his eyes soft, voice low. "Can I come in?"

"You better," she said, reaching for him. "You're not going to deny me that chiseled physique of yours now, are you?"

Zen stepped in and moved to press MC up against the wall. Hearing her sing, seeing her naked, watching the way she was watching him now, the lusty look in her eyes, it was all too much.

"Oh man," Zen said, his voice catching in his throat. "MC, I…." He couldn't even finish his sentence because his lips were on her lips, tongue already probing her mouth. His hands were already on her shoulders, sliding down to cup her breasts slick with water. He kept moving lower to trace the curves of her waist. MC responded by pressing her whole self into his hard body. She reached up, putting her hands in his hair, pulling his face down to hers, kissing him with a mad hunger that made his groin burn.

"Oh MC," he groaned between kisses. He let his hands find her backside and he hoisted her up against the shower wall. MC wrapped her legs around his waist as his fingers searched her sex. Zen heard MC catch her breath when he slipped two fingers inside and began pumping in and out. To his dismay he realized he hadn't brought a condom in the shower. Damn, he thought. Oh well, his own desire would have to wait and so he'd have to be content with pleasing her now and satisfying himself later. He was way OK with that.

Not that he minded. Watching MC get off was one of his greater pleasures in life these days. Keeping the rhythm going with his fingers he stopped kissing her long enough to steal a look at her face. She had her head thrown back against the wall, eyes closed, the water from the shower running down her face like tears. Damn, she was beautiful.

"You like that, do you Pretty Girl?" Zen said, deliberating leaning forward so that his hardness pressed further into her groin. She moaned low in response and he watched her eyelids flutter. Zen could tell she was getting closer already because she had gotten really, really quiet and her hips were bucking faster. Knowing this, he cupped his fingers slightly inside her so they would reach the secret spot. In his head, he called it the "cum button" because Zen had learned it had the power to undo her. Zen's fingers touched it now and he felt her shiver and shudder in response. Then Zen smiled to himself as she began to mewl.

God he loved watching her this way, completely lost and laid bare to him, every facet of her and her sexuality vibrantly on display. In real life, Zen knew MC could be a bit shy, reserved, especially in front of new people. He loved the fact that there was no way anyone else could ever know, guess or maybe even believe what a wild, reckless, uninhibited animal she was in bed.

"Maybe I have a beast, too," MC had said to him once, and yeah, he had to agree. In fact, Zen was pretty sure her beast could give his beast a run for its money any day of the week.

"Hyun!" MC half shrieked. She just barely got the word out of her mouth and then she was cumming, her body shaking and trembling, her inside walls pulsating around his fingers in spasmodic bursts.

"That's it, Pretty Girl…" Zen said softly, still rocking her through to the finish, "I got you, babe, I got you."

When it was over, MC threw her head back and began to laugh. A gorgeous bell-like sound.

"Oh my god, Zen," MC said, trying to appear cross, but clearly teeming with delight. "Now I'm just going to have to take ANOTHER shower."

Zen smiled biting his bottom lip. There it was, another thing Zen loved about this girl: MC just couldn't lie to save her life, not even in jest. So cute.

A little while later, when both MC and Zen were finally clean and dressed, they lounged in the sitting room overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River. MC was nibbling on one of the red bean curd buns Zen brought back to the hotel and murmuring with delight.

"Zen, A, I can't believe you remembered about Tuesday," MC said, munching and licking her fingers in a way that might be trouble if they had any prayer of leaving the hotel room today. "And, B, you went out of your way to find me the perfect red bean curd bun." She stopped chewing for a moment, regarding him with a wide, sweet smile. "No really, Zen, you're so sweet, you know that?"

Zen shrugged. "Anything for my lady," he said with a modest air.

MC reached over and put a hand on his knee. "Well, thank you," she said, leaning forward to kiss him quickly on the lips. "I love you," she said looking into his red eyes. "For this and so, so many other things."

Zen blushed a bit and ran a hand through his silver hair.

"And it's so delicious," MC went on, regarding the half eaten bun in her hand. "So believable that it's the best red bean curd bun on the East Coast. I'm so impressed you were able to find something like this here, like on your first day here."

"Well, I had a little help," Zen said, and he told her about Seven.

"God, that's going to be one of the hardest things, I think, about living here," MC said with a sigh. "I'm really going to miss those guys."

"They can come visit, of course," Zen said, thinking well, everyone except Jumin. Even though Trust Fund was still with Mi-Sun, Zen didn't quite trust him when it came to MC. He was happy to have an ocean or two between them.

"Well, what are we going to do today?" MC asked, artfully changing the subject. She had a way of knowing now when Zen was brooding about Jumin.

"Well, I have to go and meet with the director," Zen said. "But I was hoping you'd come with me because I have a bit of a surprise for us afterward,"

MC sat up and clapped her hands together. "What kind of surprise?"

Zen got up from the chair where he was sitting and went over to slide next to MC where she was sitting on the couch.

"Now it wouldn't be a surprise then, if I told you, now would it?" Zen said, reaching over to tickle her in the ribs. MC stuck out a pouty lip and squirmed away, God, she was so cute.

"Don't suppose you'd give me a hint?" MC said, batting her lashes a bit. Zen had to stifle a laugh because she was really no good at that eyelash bit, but again, so. fucking. cute.

Zen shook his head. "Nope, all you need to know is to dress casual and I'll take it from there." He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "We need to leave in about twenty minutes."

A half hour later Zen and MC were in a taxi headed to J&C Productions, where the American director Franz Alderman held his offices.

"Are you nervous?" MC said, squeezing Zen's hand in her lap. Zen shrugged,

"Yeah, a little, I guess," Zen said. "Kelly said I was pretty much a shoo-in, so that helps, but I guess you never know,"

MC nodded, squeezing his hand again. "Babe, they're going to love you. You're great."

"I suppose there's always the possibility that Alderman will be one of those directors that won't take me seriously as an actor, You know, turn out to be one of those a-holes who's always asking me to take my shirt off and shut up," Zen sighed, "But, you know, I'm pretty much ready to do anything to get my foot in the door on Broadway, so…"

MC scooted her body around to face him and put her two small hands, one on each of his cheeks. "Babe," she said, her dark chocolate eyes penetrating his cherry ones. "This is going to be great, You're going to be great, And if this guy doesn't live up to your expectations, you've got other options. So many other options."

MC was right. Since Zen got the call for Broadway, he'd had several other options, mostly in South Korea, but all relatively respectable gigs. Not a single infomercial. Not a single modeling gig.

Zen turned his body to face MC and put both his hands on her cheeks. "What would I do without you, babe?" he said, God, what was his life like before he met her? You know, he was pretty sure he'd be happy doing infomercials, as long as this girl was by his side.

\---

No surprise when they got to J&C Productions. It was another massive skyscraper that stretched toward the heavens.

"Can you believe this place?" MC said. "Damn, everything in this city makes me feel small."

Together they walked into an enormous lobby crowded with people, all obviously involved in the entertainment world one way or another. There were clearly celebrities milling about everywhere. Beautiful women with perfectly coiffed hair, cinched silhouettes and high heels. Gorgeous men in tailored suits, styled hair and dark sunglasses even though they were indoors. Pulling Zen by the arm, MC made a beeline to a posted directory on the wall in order to help to figure out where they needed to go.

"Looks like J&C Productions takes up the 18th and 19th floors," Zen said, hovering a finger over the raised silver lettering.

"Oh my god, look!" MC practically squealed. "Some Tough records are here, too. Look, their offices are right on the 17th floor!"

Zen looked at her in question.

"You know," MC said, looking frantic. "That's only like one of my favorite American record labels! They're totally cutting edge, having signed all the new best up and coming shit." She was still searching Zen's face for traces of recognition, but still coming up empty. "You know, they've got Alice Tough, Peggy and The Go Riders, Smash Hit…?"

Zen blinked a few times, trying to remember if he'd heard of any of those bands. MC's eyes were shining and he couldn't help but think well, if they made her this happy, they must be good.

"Whatever you say, babe," Zen said, chuckling and pulling her closer. So cute. They walked toward the bank of elevators.

Together they rode up to the 18th floor and approached the front desk at the end of a long hallway. Sitting behind the counter was a very tall, very thin Albino girl with red eyes and silver hair - just like Zen's. I mean, she could've been his sister! MC squeezed Zen's hand.

"OMG, babe," MC giggled into his ear. "I mean, like what do you think? Lost at birth?"

When Zen's mega twin looked up she seemed less than phased. "Oh, it's you," she said with a bit of disdain. "They're waiting for you in there," Mega Twin said, pointing toward a closed set of double doors with a long finger, fingernail painted jet black.

Zen nodded and started to pull MC along, but Mega Twin reached out and put a hand on his arm.

"No, um, sorry, Zen baby," Mega Twin said. Zen raised his eyebrows... Zen baby? "Your little girlfriend can wait out here." Mega Twin gestured to an adjoining waiting room with a row of brown chairs, a coffee station and table stacked with magazines.

"Oh," MC said, blushing a little. "Of course. I'll just wait out here."

Zen started to say something to Mega Twin. He wanted her to know that MC was not his "little girlfriend" and that referring to him as "Zen baby" was completely unacceptable, but instead he watched as MC waved him off and backed away toward the little room mouthing the words "NO, you-go-I'll-be-fine-GO".

Not knowing what else to do, and realizing that MC usually did know best, Zen shrugged and blew her a kiss. "Alright, babe," he said. "See you in a few."

Zen let Mega Twin lead him to the closed set of double doors, where she knocked twice. "Um, Mr. Alderman?" she said. "Mr. Zen is here for you now."

Zen heard a booming voice from within bellow. "Fabulous! Enter!"

The door swung open and there he was, Franz Alderman, large as life sitting behind a large mahogany desk. He looked just like all the photos Zen saw when he Foogled him, kind of like a fat Andy Warhol, but with dark features, black hair, black eyes and a thin black pencil moustache that Zen thought didn't quite suit him.

"Hello, Zen!" Alderman said, standing up to pump his hand. "Welcome!"

Zen shook back with what he hoped was a firm and sturdy handshake. "Yes, sir," Zen said. "Good to meet you, sir."

There were a few other people in the room sitting in various chairs scattered about the room. Zen first noticed a slim, attractive redhead in a trim pantsuit taking notes. Next to her was a pretty imposing black man, bald, also dressed in a suit - black - accented with a rather large gold chain around his neck. Finally, there was another young woman, shorter of stature with softer features, in a simple blue dress. She was someone Zen definitely recognized, someone he'd seen before but just couldn't quite place.

"Hi," Zen said, feeling immediately awkward. He didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this. He thought maybe he'd be in for a one-on-one meeting with the director, not this ambush.

Alderman was striding over, two steps at a time. "Please, please, Zen," he said, gesturing to an open chair next to the woman in the blue. "Sit… Join us."

Zen nodded politely to the lady in the blue, the imposing black man in the suit and the cute redhead with the notepad.

"We're so glad you could join us, Zen," Alderman was saying. "And all the way from South Korea…. I trust the accommodations are meeting your expectations?"  
Zen nodded. "Yes, sir, they're very fine indeed."

Alderman laughed, a bit belly laugh that rocked his whole body. "Why yes, good…" he said, glancing and catching eyes with those others about the room. "But don't get used to it."

Zen noted the collective appreciative giggles around the room and was immediately put on guard.

"Once we get you here for production, the accommodations have to be much more modest, you understand," Alderman chuckled. "I trust you can handle a flat in Brooklyn or maybe Queens."

"Yes, sir," Zen said. "Of course." If only they could see his apartment back home in Seoul they'd realize they could get him to put up with a lot worse.

Alderman then proceeded to introduce Zen to the other people in the room. Sasha Alderman, the pretty redhead turned out to be Alderman's daughter and personal secretary. Jonas Albright, the imposing black man was the playwright and original creator of this particular story - he'd actually researched and wrote the book that preceded it. And well, the girl Zen half-recognized in the blue suit was his co-star, Melody Gruffnuff. Well, of course, once he heard the name, he recognized it right away. Melody Gruffnuff! Holy shit. From what Zen knew, she was just barely 28, just a couple years older than him and she'd already had two runs on Broadway and starred in a leading role in a very successful major Hollywood hit movie called "Freedom Run." Wow, he thought, feeling a bit star struck. This Broadway Production just turned into some very big shit indeed.

Zen turned around and from somewhere outside his body saw himself take Melody's hand and lift it to his red lips. "Ms. Gruffnuff," he said. "It's a pleasure."

Zen watched as Melody Gruffnuff all at once smiled with her whole face and appreciatively looked him up and down. "Wow," she said. "South Korea has definitely been holding out on us."  
Out of the corner of his eye, Zen caught Franz Alderman looking very smug indeed. "Ah yes, the chemistry," Alderman said to Albright. "What did I tell you?"

Albright imperceptibly nodded appreciatively.

What? Zen thought, I'm not attracted to her! He swallowed a hard lump in his throat and thought again. Am I?

"Here's the script," Alderman said. He was sliding a rather thick booklet across the desk, which Zen retrieved and put on his lap.

"Also," Alderman said. "Here's the contract." Alderman slid a much thinner document across the desk. "Kelly said it would be to your liking, but again, I feel I must highlight the hotel room where you are staying now… well, that's a temporary courtesy."

Zen noticed more subdued laughter around the room.

"We can, however, Mr. Zen," said Mr. Alderman. "Afford you a flat in Brooklyn, but it's not quite the level of the hotel where you've been staying."

"Um," Zen said, trying to appear as comfortable and professional as possible.. "That's fine. The hotel, well, it was really too much for us anyway…"

"For us?" Alderman interrupted.

"Why yes," Zen started. "For me and my fiance. Um, well, my wife, actually. We'll be married by the time production starts."

Zen noticed raised eyebrows all around.

"Your wife?" Alderman repeated. "I wasn't aware of a wife."

Damn, Zen thought, he'd have to have a word with Kelly. "Yes," Zen said. "I have, or more so, will have a wife…" Zen sucked in a breath and looked around. "Uh, actually, it's kind of a deal breaker if she can't come with me, so..." Part of him couldn't believe he was saying this out loud, but it was a deal breaker, right? Then why did it feel like his heart was sinking in response to the awkward silence that was filling the room?

Alderman was the first to speak. "Wow, son," he started. "I'm sure you've given some thought as to how tying yourself to a particular woman might affect your abilities to draw sales in the box office?"

Zen cleared his throat before he began to speak. "Why, um, yes sir, I have given it some thought, but to be frank, sir, I think my abilities as a serious actor far outweigh any of the physical benefits of my looks."

A chorus of muffled chuckles made their way around the room. Then to everyone's surprise, the redhead spoke.

"Dad," Sasha Alderman said, her back straight and erect. "I think you underestimate young people these days. The fact that Zen will be married may make him more desirable, a bit tougher, more of a challenge to catch."

Zen swallowed a large lump in his throat. He hadn't thought of, didn't want to think about this aspect of the role. What did he care about it anyway? Let the girls look, let them lust after him all they wanted. It would make no difference. He belonged to MC and nothing was ever going to change that.

Mr. Alderman was raising his eyebrows and regarding Zen with a wary look on his face. "Well, I suppose we could downplay the whole marriage thing," he said. "For marketing purposes."

Zen cleared his throat. "With all due respect, sir, that hasn't gone well for me in the past. I find that things tend to work better if I can be open and honest with my fans," Zen paused, trying to read the room. Melody Gruffnuff was the first to speak.

"Mr. Zen," she started.

"Really please," Zen interrupted. "You can call me Zen."  
Melody smiled one of her long, slow smiles. "OK then," she said, running her tongue over her lower lip. "Zen." She glanced momentarily around the room. "You may think I haven't read about your history with your former co-star Echo Girl and the disaster there." Her violet eyes watched Zen carefully for a reaction and he tried desperately to shroud the fear that he was definitely masking there. "But rest assured, I'm not interested in recreating any kind of such controversy, real or imagined." She leaned forward and put a hand on Zen's knee. "Really, Zen, I am a professional. You can rely on that."

Zen felt something like relief wash over him, but not quite. If she was such a professional, why was she putting a hand on his leg, running her tongue over her lip, in general, just looking at him like he was lunch? Yeah, he was getting a bad feeling about this, but also, this was BROADWAY. His dream, the thing he had wanted since he knew he could act.

"Alright then," Zen said, standing up. "Good to know. That works well, since I'm a professional, too." Zen found his feet and went around the room systematically shaking hands with everyone. "Well," he heard himself saying. "I'll have my manager look these things over and we'll get back to you shortly."

"Yes, yes," Franz Alderman said and he too was now standing. "We look forward to hearing from you, what, by the end of the week?"  
"Sounds good!" Zen said, backing toward the doorway.

Once out of the office, Zen rounded the corner of the hallway toward the waiting room, but something stopped him in his tracks. Sure enough MC was in the waiting room, but she wasn't alone. There was some other dude in there with her. Tall and blond and quite handsome. He was sitting in front of her and she was holding a guitar. Their faces were close and they were both laughing. A surge of jealousy rocked Zen through to his core, What the hell, he thought, as he moved into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Uh-oh, looks like things are heating up already! Thanks (as always) for reading, commenting, reviewing and following... More soon!


	3. Star Struck

I watched Zen disappear down the hall with his Mega Twin my heart bursting with pride. There goes my fiancé I thought, going to meet his biggest dream. Behind those doors was the director of his first Broadway play. Sigh. It really doesn't get bigger or better than this.

I looked around the small waiting room, picked up an American national celebrity magazine and sat down in a nearby chair. I started flipping through the pages, but soon realized I wasn't concentrating. I actually hated these things, hated them even more now that I had been on the wrong end of a celebrity scandal. I sighed, wondering if I'd ever get used to the attention. If I were going to marry Zen, the celebrity lifestyle was going to be my lifestyle. I didn't really have a choice in the matter anymore.

"Hey," a male voice broke me out of my reverie. I looked up to see a handsome boy with a mass of sandy blond hair standing in the doorway holding an acoustic guitar. I'd been so busy feeling sorry for myself I hadn't heard him come in.

"Hey," I said, holding my hand up in a shy kind of wave. The guy came in and sat down in one of the chairs across from me. Something about him, the unruly hair, the slightly lopsided smile, seemed wildly familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. The fact that I was trying to figure it out made me stare, which made the guy stare back and finally break into a wide grin.

"Um, can I help you?" he said, his green eyes twinkling.

"Oh, um, sorry," I said, brushing some hair out of my face, "It's just, um… do I know you from somewhere?" It dawned on me as soon as I said it that it sounded like a cheesy pick up line, even if that wasn't what I meant. I longed to take it back, but it was too late.

The guy, who I guessed was somewhere in his mid-twenties, laughed a hearty chuckle. "Oh man," he said. "You would not believe how often I get that. You see, I'm at this point in my career where I'm just not quite famous enough to get totally recognized, only part-way to recognition, so to speak."

"Oh," I said, and something about the way he threw his hand up when he spoke brought it all together. "Oh my god," I said, quickly going into fan mode. "You're Jace Torro… of Smash Hit…"

"Yup," Jace Torro said, shrugging his broad shoulders in the most adorable self-deprecating way. "The one and only."

"Of course," I said, remembering the directory from the lobby. "Some Tough Records are in this building."

Jace nodded. "Right again, indeed."

"But their office is on the 17th floor…." I started, looking around, curious. "What are you doing up here?"

"I got a meeting with Alderman," Jace said. "There's a chance he wants us to cut a song for one of his upcoming productions."

"Cool, cool," I nodded, suddenly running out of things to say. I was all at once feeling very self-conscious of myself. My shabby jeans, eyelet blouse and high top sneakers. I pushed a lock of my windblown hair behind my ear while wracking my brain for witty repartee.

"Well, what are you in for then?" Jace asked, looking me up and down.

"Oh me?" I said, pointing awkwardly to my chest. I laughed. "Oh no, no, no… I'm not here to see Alderman… It's my boyfriend… uh, I mean, my fiancé who's here to take a meeting… he's an actor and up for one of Alderman's Broadway productions."

Jace nodded. "Ok, cool, then, yeah…"

I pushed another lock of hair behind my ear. Now he looked embarrassed. Could I not find one single strand of conversation? Landing on something, finally, I pointed to his guitar. "Wow, is that a Martin?" I asked.

Jace looked up at me appreciatively under a lockful of thick sandy bangs. "You know your guitars then, do ya?" Jace smiled and I noticed one of his front teeth was crooked, in the very most adorable way. I couldn't help but notice how well it complemented an equally adorable dimple he had on his right cheek when he half smiled in that lopsided way.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, a bit," I said.

"You play?" Jace asked.

"A bit," I said, feeling my cheeks blush pink. I did happen to know Smash Hit's _Uncanny Lover_ by heart, but I sure as hell wasn't going to admit that now. Or maybe I was because all of the sudden I heard myself babbling. "Yeah, I love that song _Uncanny Lover_ … I have a slow, syncopated cover version I like to play…"

"Oh yeah?" Jace said, extending the Martin in my direction. "Be my guest. I'd love to hear it."

I quickly backpedaled. "Oh no, I couldn't," I said, blushing full on crimson now. I bet my face was so red it could stop traffic.

"Oh no," Jace said, playfully, now insisting. "I think I need to hear it now. I'm dead curious."

Resigned, I sighed and took the proffered guitar. So what? This is just me playing one of my favorite songs, that I just happened to alter a bit for my own purposes, for one of my most favorite artists ever. Just a regular day in the old neighborhood. Not to mention, I reminded myself, it was a Tuesday, my worst favorite, most unlucky day of the week. Thank god Zen got me that Red Bean Curd to ward off evil spirits today...

"Here's my lucky pick," Jace said, as if reading my thoughts. I took it, smiled and cleared my throat.

"Well, yeah, so…" I started as I ran through some tuning exercises. Jace cut me off.

"Nope," he said, smiling. "No explanation. Do you start apologizing for a good meal you make before people dig in?"

I looked at him strangely. "Uh, well I don't cook," I said.

He half smiled again and laughed, revealing that tooth and that dimple that was, to be honest, making me a little weak in the knees.

"Well," Jace said in a good natured way. "Suffice it to say. Let the audience come to their own conclusions. Don't prejudice their opinion. That way, you'll get the purest feedback. It's the only way you'll know if it's really good."

"OK, then," I said, smiling. Wow, was I really going to play my version of a Smash Hit song for the lead singer/guitarist of Smash Hit? Damn. Here goes nothing.

I decided closing my eyes was the best approach and so that was what I did as I launched into the first few bars of _Uncanny Lover_.

"You make my mood blue / you make my world new…" I started, strumming the chords with purpose. I tried to imagine myself back in my room in California, which by all accounts was the last time I played this song. I pictured myself all by myself, nothing to lose, no reason to care. I sang the whole song from start to finish, my eyes completely closed, pushing away the reality that JACE TORRO was in this very room, that I was playing JACE TORRO's song with JACE TORRO's guitar. I made a point to not open my eyes until I had played the last chord….

When I did, Jace Torro was still sitting there opposite me, looking a little stunned. Oh wow, I thought, did I just blow it? Was he just thinking I'd murdered one of his hit songs, wondering to himself how he was ever going to play it again now that he'd heard it thus destroyed? I swallowed the lump in my throat and resisted the urge to run.

"Oh wow," Jace said, finally and slowly. "That was… uh, you are…" his eyes darted around the room as he searched for words. "Amazing? Incredible?" There was that wide grin again. "Wait, who are you again?"

I blushed profusely now. "I don't think I said," I said, extending a hand. "I'm MC."

"Yeah, OK, nice to meet you, MC," Jace said, shaking my hand. "But who's your band?"

"Oh, yeah, uh," I said, wondering could I blush even deeper? I guess I could. "I don't have a band… not since high school anyway."

"Wow, really?" Jace said, his face pulling an overly stunned expression that yes, made me blush even deeper. "That's surprising... because you're really good."

I shrugged, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Well, uh, thanks," I said, trying to appear casual and not like I was flipping from the inside out. "That means a lot, coming from you."

"Uh, hey there, MC…" I literally spun around to the sound of Zen's voice. There he was, standing in the doorway of the waiting room looking incredulous. I felt the color drain from my face and a little like I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I shoved the guitar in my lap back at Jace.

"Oh, Zen!" I said, jumping to my feet. "Hi, um, this is, um…. Jace Torro, you know, of that band I like, Smash Hit… uh, we were just uh, I was just, uh…." I knew I was rambling, the shade of my face cycling through all colors of the rainbow. I watched as Zen's eyes flushed to a darker shade of red and his shoulders inched up toward his ears. Great, I thought, jealous Zen. How much I love jealous Zen…

"Hiya, Zen," Jace said, standing and moving across the room, his hand extended in friendliness. "Pleasure to meet you. MC tells me you're auditioning for a role in one of Alderman's productions…"

Zen semi-reluctantly stuck out a hand in return and shook Jace's. "Yeah, well um, I have the role, actually," Zen said, a little smugly. "The leading role, actually, for _Wallace_."

Jace raised his eyebrows. "Well, wow, then," he said. "Impressive. Congratulations, man."

An awkward silence followed and I moved quickly to close both the physical and emotional space that was growing between me and Zen.

"OK, then," I said, looping my arm in Zen's. "It was super nice meeting you, Jace… but we've got to get to that thing… Right then, my lovely Zen?" I said, trying my best to butter him up and smooth things over all at once. I felt Zen's body relax ever so slightly next to me,

"Yeah, that's right, babe," Zen said, glancing at me and then at Jace. "Nice to meet you, then uh… um…?"

"Jace," Jace said, as Zen started to steer me away. Then I felt another hand on my arm.

"Yeah, oh hey, wait… MC?" At the sound of Jace's voice, I turned around. I felt Zen's body stiffen beside me again.

"Um, yeah?" I said, as nonchalant, as innocent as possible.

"You guys are new to town, right?" Jace offered and I nodded.

"Well, we will be, but not yet…." I started.

"We won't be moving here until after the wedding," Zen said, butting in. "We're getting married."

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Jace said, smiling. "I guess there are congratulations in order there, too." Zen nodded, stiffly and Jace went on. "I just wanted to extend an invitation… You know, my band, we have these jam session parties… You know, we call them hootenannies, where folks get together, hang out, play music and what not…" Jace paused looking at me, hopefully. "Well, it'd be a great way for you all to get to know some people…"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, nodding and squeezing Zen's hand in a way I hoped was reassuring. "Sounds great, doesn't it, Zen?"

"Uh, um, yeah, sure," Zen said, sounding less than convinced. Jace was already taking something out of his pocket, what looked like a business card and pressing it into my hand.

"Well, this has got my personal info," Jace said, smiling. "When you guys get back into town, just give me a ring."

I nodded, bobbing my head in thanks. Jace turned to Zen. "You know, you got a pretty talented one here," Jace said, his green eyes earnest. "You might not be the only one who's going to take this city by storm." My heart jumped just then as Jace winked at me, and I felt Zen go completely rigid at my arm. I squeezed his hand hard to help keep him in check.

"Yeah, well," Zen said, a little awkwardly. "She is pretty great, and I know she's pretty great, so…"

"Yeah, of course you do," Jace said, sticking his hands in his pockets and shrugging. "Well, hey, have fun at your uh, thing anyway."

Luckily, Mega Twin was back, clipboard in hand. "Mr. Alderman will see you now, Mr. Torro," she said looking at Jace.

"OK, um, yeah, uh," Jace said, looking down and pushing past us. "See you, then."

"See you," I said.

Zen was silent until we got in the elevator. "What the hell, MC?" he said, his red eyes a blaze.

"What?" I said, feigning innocence. "What do you want me to say?"

The way Zen was glaring at me I knew I had no chance of making him believe that Jace Torro presented no cause for jealousy.

"Ok, ok," I said, putting my hands up in the air. "I claim celebrity crush!" I was trying to make light of the whole situation, but clearly I failed. Zen blinked hard, giving me a look like I had stabbed him. Quickly I backpedaled. "But that doesn't mean anything, Zen," I said. "It doesn't change anything about how I feel about YOU."

"So you admit it, then," Zen said, angrily. "You were attracted to him… to him, that, that OTHER guy." He was saying it in such a way like he was trying to make himself believe it and process it all at the same time.

I sighed, looking at the floor. I had to think carefully about how to respond. Jealous Zen was not rational Zen, and this was not going to be waved off easily. Finally, I looked up into his eyes.

"OK, so maybe, yes... if I'm being honest, Zenny, I was attracted to him a little… but in the like, most superficial way possible!" I said the words very fast, all running together, my eyes pleading. "I mean, he's a celebrity crush, not a real crush, you know? There's a difference!"

My heart sunk as Zen broke my gaze. I felt sick as I felt him falling away from me. I had to do something! Impulsively, I reached out, grabbing him by the lapels of his favorite white suit jacket. "I love YOU, damn it," I cried. "I am marrying YOU." I watched in horror as tears began to well up in Zen's eyes.

"Please babe," I said, feeling tears start to burn behind my eyes, too. "Please, baby, don't…" I pleaded, reaching up to pull his face down to mine. There was no way I was letting him get away from me. Not for one weak moment of stupidness.

Then all of the sudden we were kissing. Then Zen's hands were in my hair, crushing my face to his in a most fervent manner. Our tongues were lashing, breaking out in battle, a desperate attempt to quell the feeling of separation that had temporarily come between us.

"You're MINE," Zen murmured between kisses. "You hear me? MINE." I nodded, sliding my hands up underneath his shirt, feeling the hardness of his muscles.

"Yes, yes, my lovely Zen," I whispered into his neck. "Yes, yes, I'm completely yours forever." I felt his teeth on my neck as he pressed me back against the wall of the elevator. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched in heightened dismay as Zen reached out and flipped the emergency stop switch. I gasped, catching my breath in my throat, as the elevator ground to a halt.

"Zen!" I said, a little breathless. I looked up to see the beast in his eyes, his hand on the top button of my jeans.

"Do you want this?" He rasped, his red eyes flashing. A searing heat was ripping through my groin. Incredibly turned on and unable to speak, I nodded in the affirmative.

"I'm going to take you right now in this elevator," Zen said by way of confirmation. I nodded again and reached down to put my hand on the hardness that had formed in his pants. His red eyes flashed again and he groaned.

"Do it," I finally managed to eek out. "Take me. I'm yours."

Seconds later, Zen was pulling at the buttons of my jeans and then wriggling them down over my thighs, around my ankles, along with my panties. As I stepped out of my pants, I watched him pull out a condom from his wallet and fumble with his belt.

"You're so fucking hot," Zen said between ragged breaths and then he chuckled. "Too fucking hot, really. You know, I really can't blame him, poor guy…" Zen's pants were soon around his ankles and my eyes widened at the sight of his bare cock. He was so fucking hard. "Too bad, Jace what's-you-face," Zen said with a half maniacal laugh. "Because you never get this."

With that, Zen pulled at the eyelet top of my blouse so that it fell open to reveal the tops of my breasts. "Pull it down, Princess," Zen commanded. "Show them to me."

Quickly I did as I was told, unfastening the front clasp of my bra so my tits sprang out to attention. It was no surprise that my nipples were rock solid, aching to be touched. Zen moaned a low "oh man" and then leaned down and put his mouth on my left breast. I gasped as I felt his teeth close on my nipple.

"Oh Zen, I…." I breathed, letting my head fall back against the wall of the elevator. By this time, my pussy was slick, hot and aching with the need for him. Gratefully, I heard the foil of the condom wrapper tear and the sound of the rubber rolling down. Then Zen's strong hands were around my thighs, lifting me up.

"You ready for this, pretty girl?" Zen whispered hoarsely into my hair. I nodded and kind of grunted in response, full on gasping when I first felt his fingers at my entrance, then the length of him pushing inside of me.

"So good," I murmured into his chest as he began to move, pumping slowly at first and then faster.

"Oh MC," Zen breathed, his breath coming more rough, more ragged now. "I'm sorry… I'm not going to…" and then all the sudden he was cumming, breaking like a wave against me in that shaft of an elevator. Then I thought, oh damn, yes, we're doing it in an elevator… so fucking hot… and then I began to ripple and cum, too.

"Oh god yes, Zen!" I cried as I let him slam me one, two, three more times into a shuddering orgasm before he collapsed against me, slick and spent with sweat. For a full minute afterwards we stood there, pressed against each other, breathing hard. Finally, Zen raised his head to look deep into my eyes.

"All fucking mine, MC," he said, his red eyes dark and penetrating. "All fucking mine."

I nodded.

\--- 

It took about another half hour for the building crew to get the elevator going again, but soon we were making our way through the lobby toward the front entrance doors.

"I don't know what happened, Mr. Zen," the building manager said, apologizing profusely. "We just had the elevators maintenanced recently. I'm so sorry you had to endure that, and it won't happen again."

Zen smiled at me knowingly and then turned to shake the building manager's hand. "No sweat, man," he said. "I appreciate your quick attention to the matter."

Once through the revolving doors and outside in the sunshine, Zen and I looked at each other and started to laugh.

"I'm assuming that wasn't my surprise?" I said, finally catching my breath.

"Not even close, pretty girl," Zen said, smiling. "I got a lot more in store for you today."

 _Oh yeah?_ My brown eyes flashed.

 _Oh yeah,_ his look said back to me. I smiled, dishing out a playful, seductive grin I save for only the most special occasions.

_Bring it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Uh-oh, more drama... jealous Zen is always trouble... and, what? In an elevator? Now really, where did that come from? LoL. Thanks (as always) for reading, commenting, reviewing and following... More soon!


	4. The Ultimate Date

It was about lunch time, so Zen hailed a cab and asked the driver to take us to somewhere called Little Italy.

"I got a restaurant recommendation from Jaehee," Zen said. "Some place she went to as part of a business trip with Jumin."

"Italian food?" I asked. I'd only ever seen Jaehee eat pre-made bento boxes and pork buns, whatever she could get her hands on fast between meetings. I couldn't for the life of me imagine her sitting down for an entire meal, at a restaurant no less.

"Yeah," Zen said, his eyes telling me he was thinking the same thing about Jaehee, how it was nearly impossible to picture her doing well, anything that didn't involve work. "She says they serve it 'family style' so I hope you're hungry."

I was hungry. That red bean curd bun Zen got me this morning was great, but that had been hours ago. Besides, our activity in the elevator had, quite frankly, left me famished. I smiled, biting my bottom lip, remembering. "Yeah," I said, blushing a lot. "I definitely could eat."

We drove about ten more minutes before the cabbie dumped us off at a busy corner. As with everywhere in New York, the streets were bustling.

"First things first," Zen said, depositing me near a nearby hot dog vender. "Wait here." Before I could open my mouth to say anything in response, Zen had skirted off and disappeared into the crowd.

Where did he go? I wondered. It felt weird to be standing aimlessly in the middle of a crowd so I found an empty table outside a nearby cafe and sat down. Glancing around, everyone was looking busy, so I decided to look busy, too. I opened up my phone to see who was online.

[MC has entered the chatroom]

Yoosung: MC ^^

Yoosung: [happy emoji]

MC: Oh hi, Yoosung ^^

MC: Don't you ever go to school anymore?

Yoosung: But it's the middle of the night…

Yoosung: [confused emoji]

MC: Oh right… I forgot about the time change

MC: Well then what are you doing up so late?

Yoosung: One guess

Yoosung: [happy emoji]

MC: You're playing LOLOL :-|

Yoosung: Yup and I'm winning, too ^^

MC: You know it's not healthy to stay up so late playing games

Yoosung: I know, I know :-/

MC: What does Debbie have to say about it?

Debbie was Yoosung's new girlfriend. They met when Yoosung was a contestant on the fashion makeover show _Queer Eye For A Guy_ for men. Debbie and Yoosung had been dating for at least a couple of months now. So much so that Zen, Saeyoung and Saeyoung's girlfriend, Lexi Ann and I had all started to speculate about whether or not it was going to get serious.

"I'm sorry," Zen said, shaking his silver head and squeezing his eyes shut. "I just can't, really don't want to picture Yoosung having sex."

"Ya," Seven said. "In my mind, if Yoosung were a superhero he'd be Boy Virgin…."

"Totally," Zen agreed, and they both doubled over in laughter.

"Ya, what, would his cape be a scrotum?" Seven sputtered.

"And hairy?" Zen quipped, slapping Seven on the back. "SO gross."

"Don't be mean," Lexi-Ann said, coming to Yoosung's defense. "I'm sure Yoosung's got good enough game… I bet he's got some sweet little Yoosung moves tucked away somewhere in those pants..."

"Yeah, he's cute..." I started to say to back Lexi-Ann up, but then seeing the look on Zen's face, I backpedaled. "I mean, not that I would even think of Yoosung that way in a million years…"

Yoosung: Debbie doesn't know I stay up late playing LOLOL

Yoosung: She thinks I'm studying :P

MC: Yoosung T_T

MC: You know better

MC: It's better to be honest

Yoosung: I know ^

Yoosung: How's NYC?

MC: hmm changing the subject -_~

Yoosung: :~/

MC: Good. Zen met the director ^^

MC: And I already met someone famous ^^

Yoosung: You did :-O

Yoosung: Who?

MC: lead singer/guitarist from a band called Smash Hit

Yoosung: Wow ^^

Yoosung: Can't say I've heard of them though

MC: Yeah, they're not exactly famous... yet ;-)

Just then I saw Zen coming back. He was holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

MC: Oh got to go

MC: Zen is coming back … with flowers o:-)

Yoosung: oh wow (((Zen)))

MC: Yeah right? He's the sweetest T_T

MC: Go to bed, Yoosung

MC: Step away from the LOLOL :P

Yoosung: OK, OK _

Yoosung: Night ^^

[MC has left the chatroom]

I ran up to meet Zen and threw my arms around his neck.

"Those for me?" I asked, gesturing to the flowers. There were six or seven deep red dahlias tied together with a big red velvet bow.

"Just for you, Princess," Zen said, bending down to kiss me on the forehead. "My one and only best girl."

I took the proffered flowers and stuck my face in the blooms, inhaling their sweet scent.

"You're too sweet," I said, looping my fingers in his as we started to walk inside the Italian restaurant Jaehee had recommended. It was a cute little place called La Mela, which meant "the apple". Right inside the tiny storefront lined with the colors of the Italian flag were half a dozen or so large round tables covered with red gingham cloth.

"How very traditional," I said, eyeing the wine bottle candle holders and plastic grapes hanging from the ceiling. I had to admit, for being a bit kitschy, it was in its way incredibly romantic. "I feel like Lady in _Lady and the Tramp_ ," I said with a giggle.

"What?" Zen said, his eyebrows raising with a look of concern. 

"Oh don't worry," I said, quickly laying a hand on his arm. "It's a good thing… A movie I used to love as a kid. Lady is this well-to-do Cocker Spaniel and she falls for this stray in the neighborhood… There's this scene where they're sharing a plate of spaghetti...Anyway," I said, blushing a bit. Why was I telling this story? "It was adorable... very romantic." 

Zen had reached over to grab my hand from across the table. He was rubbing my engagement ring with his thumb. "It sounds fantastic," Zen said, smiling, his red eyes were bright and shining in the early afternoon sun. "I'd like to watch that movie with you sometime." 

"You probably would really like it," I said, considering. "It's Disney and a musical after all." 

"Wow," Zen said, raising his eyebrows in surprise, "I can't believe there's still a Disney musical out there I haven't seen or heard of…" 

I nodded. "Well, it's pretty old," I said, trying to remember. "Came out in the 1970s, I think?" 

"Still," Zen said, looking very serious. "If it was one of your favorite movies as a kid, then that's double the reason for me to see it." His beautiful mouth broke into a wide, wistful grin. "Princess," He said, his voice breaking a bit. "I want to know everything there is to know about you." 

Bathed in Zen's impassioned gaze like this made me feel a little weak in the knees and I was grateful to be sitting down. Zen raised my fingers to his lips and kissed them one by one tenderly. 

"I love you so much, MC," he said. Was that a tear in his eye? "I really do, and I can't believe it, but if I'm being honest, the more I know you, the more I love you, every single day." 

Looking into his deep crimson eyes I could see he was telling the truth, and god knows, I felt the same. "Yes," I said, trying harder to penetrate his gaze, to touch his soul, cling to it for all days. "You know, before I met you, I didn't know such love was possible." 

Zen laughed, seeming to remember something. "Yeah, in the beginning, I totally had you pegged for a cynic," Zen said. "I mean, for the party, do you remember? You were so emphatic about not inviting the Romance Novel Company." Zen paused, clutching his stomach in amusement. "I mean, what did you say? Oh yeah, 'I'll never invite them… Not over my very celibate body… Besides, isn't it against city ordinance to have that much bullshit in one room?'" 

"I said that?" I said in disbelief. 

"Yup," Zen said. "If you don't believe me, I'm pretty sure Seven can dig it up in the chat log somewhere." 

It was true. Right about the time I joined the RFA I was still feeling pretty cynical about romance and any idea of having a relationship. It had only been a few months since I'd broken up with Kwang-jo. He'd hurt me pretty bad, but had my pain been that obvious? I guess it had been. At least to one person who was watching. The beautiful boy who was sitting across for me at this table now. 

"Yeah," I said, my heart feeling so full. I squeezed Zen's long fingers and looked into his eyes with loving gratitude. "But someone changed all that." 

"Someone special?" Zen said, teasing, fishing for a compliment. 

"Someone very special," I said, feeling moved to get up and lean over the table to kiss him on his ruby lips. 

"And handsome?" Zen went on. 

"Yes," I said, playfully swatting him on the arm. "Someone VERY handsome." 

I closed my eyes to kiss those ruby lips once more. So soft, so warm and tender. We could be married for fifty years and I knew I could never get sick of this kiss. 

"Um, excuse me," a voice said somewhere off to my right. "I'm sorry to bother you, but if you'd like to hear about our specials…" 

Reluctantly, I sat back down and listened to the waiter rattle of the specials, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Zen. He looked so much older, more grown up in his nice white suit jacket. His silver hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and his bangs were brushed away from his face so you could see the sharp, chiseled features of his face. God, he was just perfect, a man god, gorgeous. I smiled. Married for fifty years. Yeah, I could probably look at him forever, too. 

Just then I heard the sound of giggling. When I turned I noticed there was a table of about four or five young women, probably having a girl's day out. They were all whispering and staring at Zen. I knew that, since we were in America, they probably didn't know him yet, but they did recognize that he was beautiful. Damn, watching the looks on those girls' faces I knew it wouldn't be long before Zen was famous here, too. 

I smiled, remembering the scene with Jace Torro earlier. And here Zen was worried and getting jealous over me! I shook my head. Yeah, it was me. I was the one who was going to have to worry about all the girls falling all over Zen. Silently I made a promise to myself to never, ever let anyone like Echo Girl come between us again. 

"Zen?" I said, feeling more full of love and warmth for him than ever. "I love you more than life itself." I reached across the table to wrap his long fingers in mine. "You know that, right?" 

Zen's eyes softened. "Of course I do, Princess," he said. "And I wanted to say, about today... I'm so sorry about earlier… You and that musician… What's his name?" 

"Jace Torro," I said. "From Smash Hit… and for the record, he's nobody." 

Zen smiled. "I know that, babe," he sighed. "It's just I get so insanely jealous sometimes..." 

I cocked my head to the side, knowingly. Sometimes? I thought. Jealous could be Zen's middle name. 

"I know how much you don't like it…" Zen went on. "How I get so possessive…" 

"Shhhh…." I said, wrapping my both hands around his left hand. 

"No, no, Princess," Zen said, waving me off. "Let me finish. I have to say this. It's just sometimes I get so scared that I'm going to lose you." Zen paused to take a breath. As he ran both hands through his silver hair, I could see how much it hurt him, the mere thought of losing me. My heart nearly broke. He went on. "I get so scared, but then everything backfires and the fear becomes rage, and the rage, well the rage…" Zen shook his head as if not wanting to remember. "Well, the rage just makes me feel like I want to possess you, like lock you up and keep you safe from all other guys, forever." 

"Wow, babe, that's intense," I said, reaching out for his hand again. "But that doesn't sound like you, not really." I paused, thinking about it. "Huh, that sounds more like Jumin, actually." 

Zen smiled. "Yeah, right?" He sighed. "Wow. I'm so glad you didn't go for him." 

I squeezed Zen's hand. "It was always you," I said. "Never a contest. Even when I was at Jumin's apartment that time, all I wanted to do was get back to you." 

Zen smiled warmly. "I know," he said, even though I remember it differently. Last year, when Jumin held me hostage at his apartment, Zen was frantic, just beside himself with worry. 

Zen picked up a glass and took a sip of water, reflecting. "Honestly," he went on, his bright eyes shining. "Honestly, I know in my heart that our love is true…. That you are true to me… That you will always be true to me and that won't ever change." He shook his head. "But then there are the Jace Torro's of the world and then…" Zen looked up and squeezed my hand. "I know it's not right… I know there's no excuse for it…" Zen sighed looking a little hopeless. "Babe, you just need to know I'm trying... I'm doing my best… I want to be my best self, for you." 

"I know," I said, squeezing his hand and holding his gaze with my eyes. What a beautiful human being. What I didn't say, the part I couldn't explain, was how in some ways jealous, possessive Zen was a turn on. I mean I knew it wasn't any kind of basis for a healthy relationship, but there was something about the intensity of him wanting me so badly, needing me so madly that made me so hot for him. Yeah, the good side of me knew I shouldn't encourage that kind of behavior, but there was no denying that the beast in me kind of pined for the beast in him. 

The food started to come then. Toasted garlic bread with little dishes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Caesar salad with anchovies. Ricotta gnocchi with a tomato garlic sauce. Spaghetti and meatballs and, of course, tiramisu for dessert. Also lots of wine, a delicious Chianti and a sweet Moscato d'Asti to finish. 

"Oh my god," I said, rubbing my belly after the third course. "I don't think I'm ever going to be able to move again." 

Zen chuckled. "Mission accomplished," he said. "All part of my plan to keep you in my sights." 

"By making sure I can't move?" I quipped. Zen shrugged his shoulders. 

"It's one approach," he said, smiling devilishly. "Think of the things I could do to you." 

"Mmm…" I said, feeling a warmth surge between my legs as some of the possibilities came to mind. Impulsively, I reached over with my napkin to wipe some chocolate and whipped cream off Zen's gorgeous face. He grabbed my hand. 

"MC," he said. "I feel so happy right now." 

I knew what he meant. I was feeling it, too, like everything was just perfect. This feeling, I just wanted to bottle it, freeze it, squirrel it away in a time capsule, anything to preserve it for life. 

"I know," I said. "This is us. This is who we are." 

"Well, then," Zen said, his eyes dancing seductively. "We're pretty great." 

We sat there for a few more minutes, staring into each other's eyes like two smitten puppy dogs. Yeah, I thought, I used to get annoyed by those lovey dovey couples in restaurants. No, not annoyed, exactly, more like green with envy. Now I was one of them. Funny how times change. 

Finally, Zen paid the bill and we made our way outside. 

"Back to the hotel?" I said, rubbing my very full belly. Zen smiled and shook his head. 

"Nope, not yet," he said, taking me by both hands. "I got one more surprise for you, Princess." 

My heart leapt into my throat. "What?" I said, disbelieving. I couldn't imagine a better date than we just had. It was already perfect, was it really about to get more perfect? How? 

"What is it?" I asked, feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve, or perhaps more precisely, like a real princess. 

Zen reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out what looked like two tickets. "Broadway," he said, grinning. 

"Oh my god! Zen!" I said, leaping into his arms. "Tonight?!" Of course! Zen often told me that his idea of the perfect date was flowers and a trip to the theater, but BROADWAY. This wasn't just the perfect date, it was the ULTIMATE date. 

"Nothing but the best for my girl," Zen said, bending low to kiss me on the lips. I could still taste the tiramisu and Moscato d'Asti on his lips. I was feeling utterly ecstatic until I remembered what I was wearing. Looking down at my jeans, plain cotton top and dirty high top sneakers, I frowned. 

"Oh Zen!" I said, putting a hand to forehead in distress. "Aren't I... underdressed?" 

Zen smiled and cupped both my cheeks with his hands. "Princess," he said with all sincerity. "You look beautiful." 

"But I…?" I said, giving myself another once over. "It's BROADWAY. Aren't you supposed to, you know, dress up?" 

"It's a matinee, Princess," Zen said. "So, no, it doesn't matter. There's no dress code or anything." 

"But…" I said, distraught. I was looking at Zen's white suit jacket now. Of course he'd had to dress up for his meeting with the director. He looked the part. I didn't. In my version of the ultimate date, we would look like a couple. Zen sighed, reading my mind. 

"Hey, ok, look," Zen said, his face brightening. "I have an idea." 

Before I could speak, Zen was already pulling out his phone and scrolling through his contact list. 

"Hey Seven," Zen said a moment later, and then he paused. "Oh hey man, yeah, sorry. I forgot it's the middle of the night there…" 

Zen held up a finger for me to wait while he backed out of ear shot. OK, so he was talking to Seven, but about what? While Zen continued to chat, I took some time to take in the sights. I could see why they called New York the "city that never sleeps". So far, I'd noticed it was impossible to tell what time of day it was based on the number of people on the street. The place was literally packed all the time, whether it was morning, noon or night. The pace of the place was also so incredibly fast. The cars in the streets, the people on the sidewalks, heck even the pigeons, all moved with a purpose and intensity I'd never before encountered. All of this action played to a loud backdrop, a cacophony of sounds, cars honking, people shouting, buskers playing music in the street. All of it together had a distinctive, relentless, repetitive beat. Here shit was happening. Here was life in motion. Here progress was being made in the face of, no in spite of, all that was wrong in the world. I sighed. In a weird way, I found it comforting. 

"Hey Princess," Zen said, again appearing at my elbow. "I've got a plan you're going to love." 

"What is it?" I asked, but Zen was already hailing a cab and then telling the driver to take us somewhere I'd never heard of. 

"'Megan'?" I repeated. "What, or who, is 'Megan'?" 

Zen smiled, his eyes dancing. "It's a local clothing boutique, known for their collection of clothes by local designers…." 

My eyes popped wide. "What, we're going shopping?" Zen nodded. 

"Yeah, why not?" Zen said. "We have a couple of hours before the show starts… Why not get you something cute to wear?" Zen paused to look me up and down with an appreciative sigh. "Even though you look plenty cute already." 

I felt my cheeks get warm at his compliment. Then I had another thought. I usually didn't like going shopping with Zen because, even though he had great taste, he also had a bad habit of nixing all the cute outfits I picked out. 

"Hmm," he'd typically say, his red eyes narrowing. "Isn't that skirt too short? I mean, I know what I'm thinking about right now, so I can only imagine what will be going through the heads of other guys…" 

Back in the cab, I sighed and privately rolled my eyes. Yeah, if it were up to Zen I'd look like a nun 24/7. Suddenly a lifetime of matronly garb flashed before my eyes. Was I down for spending the rest of my days having to deal with Zen's whack wardrobe censorship? I bit my lip with an emphatic "no" and decided to speak up. 

"OK, look, Zen," I started carefully. "A shopping trip sounds super fun, but can you promise me something?" 

Zen's eyes were on me all at once, shining and earnest. "Why yes, of course, Princess, anything," he said. 

"You've got to leave jealous Zen out of it, OK?" I said, searching his face for understanding. 

Zen laughed. "I don't know what the heck you're talking about," he said. "I'm not jealous of… uh, clothes!" 

I gave him a stern look and then did my best impression of him talking me out of some outfit because of "other guys". 

"OK, ok, fine," Zen said, covering his mouth to stifle a laugh. Got to hand it to him, at least he had the capacity to be self-aware. "I promise I'll try not to be 'that guy' today." 

"Thank you, baby," I said, squeezing his hand. "It means a lot." 

Turns out Megan's was located in the East Village, a small neat shop with racks of clothes arranged by designer. As soon as we walked through the door, a tall blond man wearing heels and a tight flaming blue mermaid skirt swished over to greet us with the flirtiest grin. 

"Well, well, well," he cooed. "Out of towners… I LOVE them." 

"How did you know we were from out of town?" I said, not sure if he was being sarcastic. 

The salesperson gave me a wink and then a look like "sucker, please" before going on. "Oh girl, I just happen to be fashion psychic, that's all, which means I can tell where you're from by what you're wearing." 

I glanced down once again at my mediocre ensemble. "OK, where am I from, then?" I said, testing him. I was pretty sure my plain jane jeans, cotton top and high tops were going to stump him blind. 

"South Korea," the salesperson said, without missing a beat. My mouth popped open in complete surprise and then he began to explain. "Well, of course you're a fashion blackhole, Miss, uh?" 

"You can call me MC," I said, crossing my arms and waiting for his answer. 

"Well ok then, yes," the salesperson said. "Miss MC, it's true that the little ensemble you have on could be found anywhere in the world, but your friend here…." 

"Fiance," Zen said, stepping forward. The salesperson's eyebrows rose appreciatively. 

"Oh, congratulations, then, Mr., uh…" The salesperson wagged a finger up and down at Zen. 

"I'm Zen," Zen said with a half smile. I could tell by the crestfallen look on his face Zen was still struggling with the fact that nobody knew him here. In America he was completely devoid of celebrity status, at least for now. 

"OK, well then, Mr. Zen," the salesperson went on. "Your outfit is a dead giveaway…. I mean, it's very exquisite and hails specifically from Seoul… Likely crafted especially for you by a local designer there by the name Artsy Moi, I believe." 

I opened my mouth again in surprise, recognizing that name from the party. Artsy Moi was the chairwoman of the Women's Artists Organization. 

Zen sucked in a breath. "How did you…?" 

"I told you," the salesperson said, beaming shamelessly. "I'm a fashion oracle." 

"Well, well done, Mr., uh…" Zen said, sticking out a hand. 

"Paulie," the salesperson said. "You can call me 'Paulie'... just 'Paulie'" 

Zen proceeded to explain to Paulie why we were visiting the shop and then Paulie, completely elated with the task, quickly launched from display to display, chattering and pulling items from racks. 

"This one you may love," Paulie said, appreciatively looking me up and down while making clucking sounds. "You have just the cutest little figure… and a nice sizable wrack to match..." I reddened a bit at Paulie's compliment, but Zen just glared. Paulie was unfazed. "You know that's a good combo, right?" 

I watched Zen stiffen and his gaze grow darker. I was worried that Jealous Zen was about to crack at any moment, but Paulie just waved him off, seemingly more amused. "Oh honey," Paulie said to Zen. "Don't you worry. If anything it's your girl who should have cause for alarm because Zen, baby, you're just my type." 

I knew I could've felt jealous, but I didn't. I just laughed. The look on Zen's face was priceless. 

"That's right, Zen, baby," Paulie said, pausing to run a polished fingernail along one Zen's perfect cheekbones. "You can call me anytime." 

Zen perceptively reddened and turned away, pretending to focus on a wrack of ties in wild, vibrant colors. 

"The straight people," Paulie whispered in my ear. "So fun to fuck with. 

A few moments later I found myself in a dressing room with close to fifteen different outfits, mostly dresses and little skirts. Dutifully, I tried on each ensemble and emerged to twirl in front of my two admirers. I found I really liked having Paulie on board because, even though Zen had promised, he was not doing a good job of remembering his promise to keep his "other guy" goggles at bay. 

"Princess," Zen said, with a critical air. "I can see the whole outline of your body through that shirt… it's very thin… and other guys…" 

"Oh Zen," Paulie said, cutting him off with an artful eye roll. "That's the look, hon, and it's very flattering. You should be so very proud of your babelicious. I mean, look at those boobs!" Paulie shot Zen a look. "Besides, what good does it do you to be jealous? So not sexy." Paulie looked at me. "Am I right, hon?" 

I nodded. I loved Paulie so much. I wanted to take him home. 

An hour or so later, I emerged from Megan wearing a light blue sparkly backless halter dress, a pair of pale mint pumps with sculptural block heels and a sassy cropped jean jacket, which I slung over my shoulder. 

"Don't be a stranger!" Paulie called after us. "Come back and see me… Next time we'll go for drinks!" 

I felt so happy as we walked down the street, hand in hand, me with my gorgeous Zen. Both of us were dressed to the nines and I could feel it. As we moved through the sea of people all eyes were on both of us, some even taking the time to stop and turn all the way around. Some even let out low whistles. 

"Damn," Zen said as we stood on the corner attempting to hail another cab. He kept looking me up and down and practically salivating. "It should be illegal for you to look that way." 

I walked over to Zen slowly, drinking in his half-gone expression and wrapping my arms around his waist. 

"Princess, don't," he said, his eyes growing dark, lidded under my gaze. I let one of my hands slip down to cup his ass. 

"Don't worry," I said, smiling sweetly. "I can save it for later." 

Zen let out a low moan as a cab screeched to a halt in front of us. "You better," he said. 

\---

The show Zen took me to see was called "Footloose." It was a love story between a preacher's daughter in Oklahoma and a new boy hailing from Chicago. The small town had a rule that outlawed dancing, and so the preacher's daughter and the new kid instigated a plan to host a prom. I had never heard of the story, although Zen assured me it had been made into a hit movie in America during the 1980s. Hands down my favorite part was watching Zen rock in his seat and mouth all the words to the musical's title track "Footloose."

Afterwards we walked out into the night and along the boulevard under the stars.

"Did you like it?" Zen asked, his eyes shining into mine.

"I loved it," I said, honestly, intertwining my fingers fiercely into his to try and express the degree of meaning I was feeling. "And I can't wait until it's YOU up on that stage." I moved closer, stepping into him. "You know," I said, reaching up to play with the lapel of his jacket. "You were made to be up there…. I mean, people here, in America, may not know you yet, but you sure as hell know that they will…." I pulled his face toward mine for a long, languorous kiss. I shivered as his hands slid up and down my naked back and crushed my body into his.

"MC," Zen whispered. He was cupping both my cheeks and looking so deep into my eyes that I probably would've fallen down had I not been pressed so hard up against his chest. "Honestly, you're the only person who matters…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: Damn! SOOO much fluff! The ultimate date! So much romance. Sigh. Thanks (as always) for reading, reviewing and commenting. More soon.


	5. Plans Made, Promises Spoken

It was intermission at the theater and Zen couldn't wait to get MC back to the hotel. He should have never agreed to let her buy that outfit at Megan. That tiny light blue sparkly dress, backless and form fitting, had been driving his beast crazy all night long… And the shoes that went with it, thick high heels that made MC wobble and her hips sway in a smooth undulating motion…Man, strictly mesmerizing. And when she pressed her little body to him, Zen swore he could feel the nubs of her nipples penetrate his chest… He could certainly see them poking, no straining against the fabric. Aw, man, Zen thought. It made his dick throb just to think about it.

Not to mention all the other guys. Yeah, they were looking, even the old turdy men who might have typically had the polite restraint except for the fact that MC was just so undeniably sexy. Watching her move around the lobby, accepting a drink at the bar during intermission, tossing her loose hair over each shoulder without a care in the world. Then there was her pure unadulterated smile, the one that brought Zen to his knees whenever they locked eyes across a room. Unlike himself, the full blown narcissist, MC didn't know how hot she was. It was like her secret weapon, her self-effacing, amiable nature… The fact that she literally had no clue how beautiful she was pretty much tripled the effect of her aura. Zen shook his head in amazement and groaned inwardly as she casually lifted a foot to scratch the back of her bare calf with her toe. Like really, damn, how could she NOT know how incredibly cute she was?

But Zen had promised himself, no swore, that he wasn't going to be jealous. Tonight was meant to be the perfect date, a celebration of their recent engagement, and he'd almost ruined it before it had even begun. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and blinked now trying to erase the scene he'd walked in on in Alderman's waiting room earlier this morning. MC with her head so close to that musician, and the look in her eye. There was something about that look that Zen just couldn't shake. Wasn't that the way she looked at him? Zen was still shaking his head, still desperately trying to shake that image away, when he felt a soft touch on his arm.

"Zen?" MC said, softly placing a glass of champagne in his hand. "You OK, baby?" Her eyes were gentle, full of love. Ever since the incident with the musician and their encounter in the elevator, she'd been extra attentive. Strangely that moment, being introduced to the possibility of trouble in their relationship, had ignited a redoubled commitment to their affection for each other. Yeah, Zen thought, he felt it, too.

"Yeah, Princess," Zen said, forcing a smile to his lips. "I'm all good." He let a hand rest on the small of her naked back, leaned a little forward to inhale the scent of her, which was sweet and intoxicating, not unlike perfume, except he knew she didn't wear any.

MC raised her glass. "I want to make a toast," she said, looking up at him under her eyelashes. Paulie, from the clothing collective, had been right to be jealous of their natural curl and thickness. Like everything else about MC, they were intoxicating.

"Um, sure, OK," Zen said, raising his glass in return. "What is it, Princess?"

Zen watched as MC quickly used her free hand to wipe the corner of each eye and smile broadly and so warmly his whole body ached to be held by her.

"To us," she started, raising her glass a bit higher. "To two beings who have lost so much in life and yet found each other still… Together may our love make ourselves, and those around us, more whole."

Zen nearly choked on his heart with happiness. Man, he was the luckiest guy in the world. "I'll definitely drink to that," Zen said, smiling and looking at MC like the precious thing she was. He clinked glasses with her and then raised the glass to his lips and so did she. Zen watched how as she tipped the glass back she closed her eyes. He smiled as he had an image of her doing the same motion but at thirty, at fifty, at ninety. His heart swelled at the thought that he would know her now and he would know her then. He will have loved her so much more and well.

"I have something else to say," MC said, her voice clear and sweet, and Zen could see that she now indeed had tears in her eyes. He reached out a hand to brush them away, murmuring the comforting, loving sounds that were rising from his breath.

"Hyun Ryu," MC started and Zen's heart stopped at the sound of his real true name on her lips. "You know I may have never really felt that close to my own family," she went on. "So the concept of what 'home' is has always been fraught and somewhat lacking…"

Zen reached for her hand, squeezed it and held it while also holding the gaze of her sad brown eyes. With what he hoped was a supportive look in his own eyes, he urged her on.

"Hyun," MC breathed his name like it was a part of her and Zen swore he could feel his spirit stir inside himself. "You are my family now. You are my home. I may have not known what that was or what it would feel like, but I fully recognize the feeling in you." She blinked back tears. Happy tears, Zen imagined. He was feeling them burning behind his eyes, too and he couldn't stop smiling and holding on to her tiny hand.

"Babe?" MC said, peering up at him under her lashes. "There's something else… We've never really spoken about it, but… do you want children? Because I think it's fair to ask before we…"

MC didn't get out another word before Zen had wrapped her up into his arms and pulled her to him with considerable force.

"Oh, MC!" Zen said, unable to to get the words out fast enough. "YES." More than once, Zen dreamed of a little MC, he didn't know why it was always a little girl, running around a yard happy and free. Even though he knew it was a psychic dream, he kept it to himself because, from past experiences he knew that sharing psychic dreams too early could be painful, maybe even cause harm.

"Because," MC said, looking up at him with earnest eyes, big, brown, warm. "Someday I want to have children with you, Hyun. I want us to have a little family."

Then all the sudden Zen was kissing her, feeling every fiber of his being at once consoled and contented, completely fulfilled.

"You," Zen said finally, holding MC's face so close to his it was as if they were already one. "You are my heart."

MC reached up to stroke a lock of silver hair from his face. "And you," she said, smiling more sweetly, more serene than he had ever seen. "You are mine."

The lights dimmed briefly signaling the beginning of the second act and arm in arm, they led each other back inside the theater.

The second half of the play went off brilliantly. Although, if he were being honest, Zen would say that his head wasn't in it at all. Not the actors, not the setting design, nor the music, although all infallible and without flaw, caught his attention. Zen was quite content to hold MC's little hand, stroking her fingers, turning her hand over in his palm, gauging its warmth against the warmth of his own skin. He loved stealing glances at her face, watching her reactions to certain scenes in the play he knew, trying to guess ahead of time what her responses would be. He'd never not been so present at a play and yet so completely present and known in the world. Yes, he was, in a word happy.

Outside on the theater steps and in the cab ride home there were more whisperings of love and tenderness. At one point in the evening, Zen felt absolutely sure he wouldn't be able to breathe another breath of air if they weren't tied together in matrimony in that single instant.

Then the mood turned on a dime, from love to lust in the space of an instant. Zen had just lifted MC out of the cab with this hand. He watched as she spun around and started walking toward the front entrance. For a moment, she looked back, almost in slow motion, and maybe even said something because she smiled. Then as she was walking through the doors, with Zen maybe five steps behind her, a gust of wind blew, catching up in her skirts. Like an unbridled emotion, the tiny blue sparkly skirt blew up around her torso revealing her legs and a thin strip of lacy panties. Looking surprised, MC threw back her head and laughed while using her arms to fight down her billowing skirts.

Aw man, Zen whispered to himself, totally spellbound by her beauty. In two extra long steps, he was at MC's side, pulling her through the revolving door and whispering in her hair.

"You're so beautiful, MC," he said over and over. Seeing the flash in his red eyes, MC reached down, grabbed his hand, linking all his fingers and pulled him swiftly toward the bank of elevators.

Once on board, the beast was barely keeping itself at bay as the elevator rose up higher toward the seventeenth floor where their penthouse awaited. Unlike earlier in the day, they were sharing the elevator with several other riders, including an older couple with two small children. Zen noticed that the two children, small maybe 2 or 3, maybe twins, had likely pressed all the buttons on the elevator because they were all lit up. This forced the elevator to stop dutifully on every floor, doors sliding open, then closed before moving on. Button pressing long forgotten, the children were now wrestling over a stuffed donkey. The two adults attending them, presumably the parents, seemed exhausted. Only the mom would periodically wield empty threats. "Janie, stop" or "William, stop" as the elevator crawled its way up the shaft.

Damn, Zen thought to himself, this was going to take forever. He was becoming ever so more conscious of the boner pressing against the fabric of his pants, revealing itself as a long, fat shape on his thigh. He positioned MC in front of him in the hopes that no one would notice. He shook his head. This was no surprise. I mean, what could he expect after a night with MC in a dress like that? He sucked in a breath and tried to blink back the image he just saw... MC's bare legs, that tiny strip of lace panties... Aw, man.

Once deposited on floor seventeen and finally safely behind the door of the hotel room, the beast let loose. No words were exchanged. In one move, Zen had MC backed against a wall. While she was kicking off her shoes, his hands were already wrapping around the nape of her neck undoing the tie of her halter dress.

"I want you so much," Zen breathed as MC wriggled and let the fabric fall to the floor. Zen stood back for a moment and gasped. He'd seen her thus undressed countless times but the sight of her this way never ceased to amaze him. His eyes came to rest on her breast, specifically where her version of their matching tattoo resided. Two hearts intertwined with a forever figure eight. His design. MC seeing him looking at it, smiled and traced the shape of it with a seductive finger.

"Come here and get me, Zenny," she taunted.

Zen didn't need to be asked twice and he rushed at her, catching her up in his long arms and pulling his face to hers. The beast was out in full force now and every cell in his body was bent on consuming her.

"I love you," Zen breathed between kisses. "I fucking love you, MC."

MC was working hard to tear the coat and all the rest of the clothes off of Zen's body, all while keeping her lips locked fervently to his face.

"Mmm," she said, hoarsely. "I love you, too, Hyun. I do. I do."

At about that moment, Zen lost his balance and they both toppled backward onto the carpeted floor. MC was unfazed, still intent on removing the clothing from Zen's body.

"Hey, hey," Zen said, sitting up. "Let me help."

MC wriggled away, leaning up against the side of the couch to watch. As her god of boyfriend, fiance, whatever, removed the clothes from his perfect body, her eyes got wider. She couldn't help but to start to touch herself as every muscle of his beautiful body was revealed and became illuminated to her in the dim light of the hotel room. Zen's eyes grew dark and heavy lidded as he watched her go to work on herself.

"Does that feel good, Princess?" Zen asked, imagining the feeling of the slick folds of her pussy sliding beneath his own fingers. She nodded and lifted both fingers to her mouth, sticking them in, tasting herself.

"Oh damn," Zen breathed. Apparently, MC's beast was out too, and he couldn't remember being so turned on. In response, he began to touch himself, too, sliding his hand up and down making his member slick with precum. MC eyed him eagerly and moaned.

"You want this?" Zen said, his red eyes a glow. MC nodded and rushed him like an animal, throwing her naked body on top of his with a fierceness Zen didn't recognize and didn't refuse. Now she was kissing him with what seemed like new passion and new purpose. Her mouth was searching his with a fervor not to be denied.

"Baby," she said, her brown eyes flashing. "I want you so fucking bad."

Suddenly MC's hand was between Zen's legs, gripping the length of his hardness and stroking up it and down. Just the sense of her touch and the sight of her straddled on top of him and taking control was almost enough to make him cum on the spot, but he deferred his thoughts away from her perfect tits and round curvy ass in favor of more mediocre memories like helping his grandfather paint a fence. Working hard to keep himself under control, he concentrated on the exact shade of grey blue his halabojee had picked for the siding and…

"Uh, MC?" Zen said, suddenly, as he felt MC positioning herself on top of him, about ready to mount and thrust himself inside. "Wait, what are you doing? Aren't you forgetting something?" Zen sat up quickly, scooting back against the couch.

MC smiled, looking a little naughty. "It's OK, Zenny," she cooed. "We'll be married soon enough."

"Yeah, but…" Zen said, feeling the traditionalist inside himself rising to the occasion. Who was the traditionalist to rival the beast? "Uh, but we're not married yet…"

MC sighed and smiled, sitting back. "Zen baby, I think you're thinking more about virginity there and," she chuckled sensuously and started to crawl back over his naked body. "And, well, I deflowered you months ago…"

The sexy look in MC's eyes was quickly melting Zen's resolve, so he stuck out a hand and quickly scurried back further. "Just wait, wait, MC," Zen said.

MC made a pouty face. "But Zen…"

"Just think of your sister…" Zen said. MC's eyebrows shot up in a look of utter astonishment.

"My sister?" MC said, incredulously. "What makes you think I want to think about Hae right now?" MC blinked her eyes and sucked in a breath. "News flash, believe me she already knows I'm not a virgin."

"Babe," Zen said, scooting closer to her now and taking her hands in his. He looked deeply into her eyes. "This is important. It's about preserving the tradition…" He tilted his head. "I mean, you wouldn't want our baby to be conceived out of wedlock, would you?"

MC shrugged her shoulders and smiled, resigned. "OK, fine," she said. "You win. Condoms it is…"

Zen tapped her thigh. "It's just a little longer, babe," he said. "I mean, you gotta know how badly I want to but…"

"You're just a fucking traditionalist," MC said, rolling her eyes.

Zen rolled over and found his pants. Then he reached inside and pulled out the familiar rectangular package. "Come on, Princess," he said, touching her under the chin. "Not long now."

"Not long now," MC said, laying back on some of the cushions that were piled on the floor.

"You're beautiful," Zen said. Scooting up next to her, he began to stroke her thigh. "You know that?"

MC shrugged and looked away, blushing. Wow, Zen thought. I really killed the mood. Suddenly he had an idea. "Hey, MC," he said. "Will you let me braid your hair?"

MC looked at him, her whole face a question. "You want to braid my hair? Now?"

Zen nodded. "Yeah," he said. "It's kind of one of these fantasies I have about having a girlfriend and braiding her hair."

MC shrugged. "OK, then, I'm game," she said.

So Zen got up, found them two hotel robes and a hair brush and sat down on the couch. "Sit here," Zen said, patting the space between his knees. MC complied and Zen began to run the brush through MC's gorgeous dark chocolate hair.

"So soft," he murmured, as he prepared to divide the hair into sections. MC lay her head back and sighed.

"Mmm… this feels so good," MC said. She was silent, thoughtful for a moment and then spoke. "Zen?"

"Yes, Princess?" Zen replied. Starting at the top of her head, he began folding the sections, one over the other, adding more hair to each section as he made his way down the back of her head.

"Since you're such a traditionalist, what other wedding traditions are important to you?" MC asked, sounding curious.

"Hmm," Zen said, giving the question some thought. "Well for sure we shouldn't see each other before the ceremony on the wedding day… I mean, isn't it bad luck to see the bride in her dress?"

MC chuckled. "Yes, I think that's more of an American thing, but OK…" MC said. "Oh, and speaking of dresses, I don't want to wear a traditional hanbok… I hope that's OK."

Zen sucked in a breath. "No hanbok?" he sighed. "OK...But why?"

"Well, I think they're, how do you say," MC paused, smiling. "Um, ugly… I mean, I could see why you would approve… I mean they cover every inch of a girl's body, like head to toe."

Zen laughed so hard he almost dropped his braid, which was almost finished. "Yeah, I guess I'm a bit guilty of that," he said. "Ok, no hanbok… but only so you can look sexy and I can ravish you in a closet at the banquet when no one is looking."

"Zen!" MC cried, swatting his knee. "So risque!"

Zen was quiet a moment, thoughtful while he braided the last strands of MC's hair and tied it off with a hair band.

"We absolutely have to have a Kook Soo Sang banquet, though," Zen said. "With the long noodle soup and the rice cakes."

"Yes," MC said, smiling. "Long noodles equals long life…"

"Yes," Zen said, spinning her around. "Which we will have in spades." Zen handed MC a hand mirror and gestured to the mirror on the wall. "Take a look at my handiwork," he said.

MC stood up and admired her braid. It was a single traditional french braid that hung straight down her back. "Oh my god, Zen," MC said. "You continue to surprise me… What a great job... Where the heck did you learn to braid hair?"

Zen sighed, feeling a little sad. "My uma taught me," he said. "When I was young."

MC rushed to Zen's side and picked up his hand. "Oh Zen," she said. "I'm so sorry your mom won't be at our wedding. I know how important she is to you."

Zen attempted a smile but still felt sad. The fact that he was estranged from his family, especially his father, was a source of constant sadness. Even though he'd recently made up with his mother, had even met her in secret a couple of times, Zen's father still wanted nothing to do with him. In his father's mind, Zen ceased to exist the day he ran away when he was fifteen. At the time it seemed so vital to get away. Zen wanted to be an actor, but his father wanted him to focus on his studies and pursue a career that was more practical. Zen shook his head, remembering. Maybe if he had been a bit more mature he could've had everything he wanted. He sighed. Then again, maybe not. Zen looked up at MC with her bright shining eyes and felt a deep surge of love inside himself. No, if it had been different then maybe he wouldn't have needed the RFA… Then that might have meant that he'd never meet MC. What an impossible thought. No, now that MC meant everything to him, how could he possibly have regrets?

"Maybe you could do one thing for me and my mother, MC?" Zen asked, seized with a new idea.

MC straightened, eager to help. "Oh, yes, Zen, anything," she said. "What is it?"

"What if we tried to host the P'ye-baek with my mother in secret, maybe at my secret place?" Zen suggested. "You know, you could wear the traditional hanbok and she could throw the dates and chestnuts… you know, for fertility?" During the P'ye-baek, it was custom for the groom's family to throw chestnuts and dates at the bride so she could catch them in her skirt. The nuts and fruit symbolized the couple's future unborn children.

MC smiled a warm, broad grin. "Yes, Zen," she said. "That's perfect."

"You don't mind wearing the hanbok, then," Zen said, his eyes twinkling. "You just said you hated it."

"No," MC said, scooting closer. "It's Ok...for you, you know I'd do anything. For you, my lovely Zen, the world."

Filled with gratitude, Zen took MC in his arms and began to stroke her lovely cheek. "I know we don't get everything we want in life, MC," he said, his voice full but also edged with sadness. "But really, with you as my family now, I know that's all I'll ever need."

With that, Zen carefully leaned MC back on the cushions. For a few minutes he just hovered above his angel, propping himself up on both elbows. He stared longingly into her lovely brown eyes, touched her pale skin with his fingers, like he was trying to memorize every pore. "I love you so much, MC," he whispered over and over again to which she replied, "Yes, Zen, I know... me too."

Then softly, tenderly, Zen began to kiss her. Her lips were soft and warm, her breath steady and inviting. Carefully he coaxed her mouth open and began to taste her. Hints of champagne, Zen thought, mixed with the usual warm taste of her. As Zen continued to kiss her, he let his hands begin to wander. Slowly his hands made their way up through the folds of the hotel robe until they found the smooth skin of her thigh.

"Mmm…" MC moaned as Zen's fingertips brushed the inside of one of her thighs. Instinctively she lifted her hips to meet his touch.

"Not yet, Princess," Zen half whispered, half chuckled in her ear as his hand continued its way up across her bare stomach to cup her full breasts. He smiled a little, remembering Paulie's comments about her body. Paulie said she had a "cute little figure" and "a rack to match"... Zen had to concur. MC's body was beautiful, not skinny and rail-like, which seemed to be all the rage these days, she was more like a pinup girl from the 1950s. Plump and delicious in all the right places, delicate and sweet in others.

Zen gently squeezed one of her breasts with his hand, gently twisting and squeezing the nipple with his forefinger and thumb. Tonight Zen was intent on keeping the beast at bay. Tonight he wanted something different. Tonight he wanted to make love to every inch of her, show her the soul of his feelings with his whole body. His erection was already stirring, a warm pleasant sensation that was content, for now, to press against MC's thigh.

"Do you like this?" Zen whispered in MC's ear as he tweaked her nipple ever so slightly.

"Mmm…" MC nodded in response.

Zen shuddered as he felt MC's tiny hands slide up underneath his robe. Her hands on his bare skin. "Mmm…" he moaned.

"Take it off," MC said. "Please take it off."

Zen rose up on his knees momentarily and shook the robe off, tossing the garment onto a nearby chair. He watched as MC's eyes grew wide and fastened on his erection. Casually, he reached down to stroke himself.

"You like this, Princess?" Zen said, loving the way her breath hitched and caught in her throat, her mouth half open with wanting.

MC nodded and whispered "please…" but Zen wasn't done with her yet. His face was already making its way, down toward the hot spot between her legs, leaving a trail of kisses along the way. He stopped to suck her belly button. He tasted the sweet softness of her hip bone.

"Oh god," MC moaned, throwing her head back, pressing into a pillow.

Zen was between her legs now purposely breathing, but not touching, her gorgeous lips. They were swollen and glistening and MC was arching her back toward him, wanting. Zen waited just a moment, savoring the scene, and then, finally, went down.

"Mmmm, oh Hyun, you big tease," MC said and he could feel her smiling. "Oh god, yes."

Zen went to work. He began to trace the outside folds with his tongue, making little circles in both directions. He alternated with a few sucklings of her clit, enjoying the sexy mewling sounds that were coming from MC. Zen noticed that her wetness had increased significantly and thinking about how wet and slick and ready for him she was made his cock twitch. But Zen knew he could be patient. They had all the time in the world and he could have both. Slowly he slid one finger up inside MC's vagina, and when it was readily received, he added two more. They slid in so smoothly, so easily that it made Zen groan as her walls tightened greedily around his fingers.

"Oh Hyun," she moaned. "Oh baby…"

Zen chuckled to himself. She was still making too much sense. He knew he could do better. Immediately he started pumping his fingers slowly, curling them at the tips to hit that sweet spot he knew inside her. The one that always made her whimper. All the while he mercilessly sucked her clit and pressed his hard dick into her thigh.

"Oh, I… oh..." MC cried. She was beginning to get incoherent. She was beginning to lose herself. This was Zen's favorite part.

Soon her body was bucking off the floor in full response to his rhythm.

"That's it, pretty girl," Zen coaxed, reveling in the sight of her, the raving, quivering mess she'd become.

Zen didn't let up. He kept punishing her with his fingers, sucking her with his lips. MC's breathing was coming faster and the movement of her hips were setting such a quickening pace that Zen was now having a hard time keeping up.

"Ohhh…. Ohhh…" MC was saying, her head crashing back against a pillow, her eyes closed. Finally her whole body began to shake and Zen smiled to himself as he saw her grip fistfuls of carpet on either side of her. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!" she cried and then finally. "Oh, god… cumming!"

MC came so hard, so all at once, that her hips jolted off the floor and a wetness shot out so intense it practically sprayed Zen in the face.

"Damm," Zen said, jumping back. "What was that?" He said, wiping some wetness from his eye. Looking between MC's legs Zen observed a trail of thick white cream emanating from her entrance. Zen's eyes went wide.

"Damn, MC," Zen said, surprised. "I've never seen… Wow, MC, I think you just ejaculated."

MC sat up. "What?" she said. "Really? Is that possible?"

"Yeah," Zen said, feeling his groin twitch again. "Yeah, that was uh, so hot… god, you're so damn sexy."

Zen's eyes suddenly became very heavy lidded. Purposely he pushed MC back down on the pillows. He was ready for her, more than ready for her now.

Carefully, he removed the condom from the package, positioned it on the tip of his dick, rolling the rubber all the way down. Without breaking her gaze, Zen situated himself on top of her and reached between her legs. It took him no time to find her very wet entrance and to push himself in. He slid in so easily, so like butter, that he groaned.

"Oh man," Zen groaned again as her walls greeted him with a familiar tightening. There was nothing better than this, nothing better than being inside MC, being so close to her that they were one.

Zen took MC's hands on either side of her body and, intertwining their fingers, he began to move. Still never breaking her gaze, watching her sweet face, full of love as he pumped himself in and out of her. Often when they had sex, they fucked, because Zen knew, they both had beasts. This time, however, it was different. This time they were making love. Zen imagined he was stroking her from the inside, stroking her very soul with the most very private part of himself. He felt like he was painting a love story, their love story, remembering all their favorite moments as he pleasured her. Finally, as he worked closer toward orgasm, he closed his eyes, enjoying the undulating colors and patterns that were the soul of them swirling in his brain.

"Oh MC," Zen said as his stomach began to tighten. "I love you. I love you. I do." Then he was cumming, exploding inside her with an intensity that made him catch his breath and his toes tingle. Zen was barely aware that MC was coming too, her legs and arms wrapped around him filling a desperate need.

"I love you, too Hyun," MC whispered, immediately pulling his face to hers and kissing him deeply. "Oh my god," she breathed, her eyes shining. "That was so… uh, beautiful."

Afterward, Zen rolled off to cuddle beside her. He reached down between his legs to pull off the condom and then stopped. As his fingers brushed the tip of his dick, he realized there was nothing there. He sat up straight.

"Oh my god," Zen said, his eyes wide.

"Oh my god, what, Zen?" MC asked, alarmed.

Zen examined his penis in horror. Somehow the condom had broken during sex. The tip of his dick had busted straight through and now the remainder of the sheath was crinkled around the base of his shaft.

"Oh damn, MC," Zen said. "I think the condom broke."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Oh dang! Will a little one be on the way? Who knows? Also, I'm looking forward to the wedding, aren't you? Thanks (as always) for reading, commenting, reviewing, etc. More soon...


	6. Photo Finish

I woke up the following morning with a bit of a hangover. Two shared bottles of wine plus champagne was a lot for me and, from what I could tell, it was for Zen, too. He hadn't gotten up for an early morning run as usual. Instead, he was still passed out on the other side of the bed, his silver hair plastered at odd angles around his face. He was slightly snoring and the cutest puddle of drool (could there be such a thing?) emanated from his half-open mouth on the pillow.

Feeling an overwhelming rush of love for my god-boyfriend-fiance, I reached over to brush some of the matted hair out of his face. I smiled, remembering yesterday, what an epic date! The flowers, the delicious romantic dinner, the impromptu shopping trip and then BROADWAY. Zen had really gone all out for me and I was positive I'd never had a better time with anyone, ever before.

Then, blushing, I remembered the latter half of the evening. I sighed and looked down, touching my stomach. My belly didn't look any different or feel any different. I shook my head. But why would it? It had only been a number of hours since "the accident" and of course it would be too early to tell. Still, I knew there were preemptive measures I could take to prevent a pregnancy, like go to the store, get a morning after pill. But sitting here watching my lovely Zen sleep, I knew there was no way in hell I was ever really going to consider anything that would destroy anything that was a part of him, a part of me, a part of us.

Still, I picked up my phone and Foogled "chances of getting pregnant after a broken condom." The results turned up lots of information about emergency contraception, how soon you can take a pregnancy test, and a lot of urging to go to planned parenthood. Although there were no statistics on how often a broken condom results in a pregnancy, there was a fair bit of information about when - as in which point of a woman's cycle - a pregnancy was more likely to occur.

I scratched my head and whipped out my phone. When was my last period? I tried to remember what I was doing. Hmmm. I think I got it the last time right after the lawn party at Jumin and Mi-Sun's house… which, looking back at the calendar, was about two weeks ago. I counted the days on the calendar and my heart stopped. Fourteen days. That meant, to the bst of my knowledge, today was day 14 of my menstrual cycle.

I looked back at Foogle and found an ovulation date calculator. I typed in the first day of my last menstrual period, the day after the lawn party and hit "calculate." My eyes widened as the results appeared. According to the results, I was predicted to ovulate tomorrow. Feeling a little relieved, I read on only to have my heart sink at "you are likely to be more fertile during the 4-5 days leading up to ovulation..." The article went on to say something about how the sperm were able to live inside you for up to a few days waiting for the egg to drop. I sighed. Knowing Zen, how perfect and healthy he was in just about every other respect, his sperm could probably wait until the cows come home.

I put a hand to my stomach again, considering. It's not that I didn't want to be pregnant by Zen. Honestly, hadn't I just been talking about it last night?! Really, it would be a wonderful, gorgeous thing. I frowned. I just wasn't sure that now was the time. Zen was just about to star in his first Broadway play. We were moving to New York, where we knew NO ONE. We'd be oceans away from our adopted family, the RFA.

Quickly, I rolled out of bed to run a warm bath. Maybe I wasn't willing to go the full emergency contraception route, but a bath might help wash the sperm out, right? At least reduce their numbers, their motility, or whatever? While the tub filled, I Foogled "does taking a bath after unprotected sex prevent pregnancy" and several articles popped up right away. Unfortunately, every single one of them debunked washing after intercourse as a myth. Apparently the little fuckers are such avid swimmers they race straight through your cervix and hang out in your uterus, where water can't reach until your egg shows up. Sigh. So there's nothing to be done about that except wait.

"Hey Princess?" I heard Zen's voice call from the bed. He must've just woken up.

"Yeah?" I called from the bath. "I'm in here."

A few seconds later, Zen's sexy bedhead appeared in the bathroom doorway. He caught sight of me lounging in the bathtub and cracked a lurid grin.  
"Want some company?" Zen said, already stepping out of his boxer shorts. I nodded, pulling my knees up to my chest to make room for him. I admired his gorgeous physique as he stepped into the tub. I couldn't help but wonder, with his genes, what beautiful children we would have. Once inside the tub and sitting opposite me, Zen reached for my hands.

"Hey," he said, his red eyes leveling with my brown ones. "You OK?"

I nodded, pumping my head in an unnatural fashion. "Yeah, yeah," I said. "Um, sure."

Zen's face grew serious as he dropped his chin and peered up at me through a lock of silver bangs. "You sure?" he said, and then grinned. "Because last night we, uh, we kinda uh…"

"Basically made a child," I said, maybe a little more harshly than I imagined. I really didn't blame him, not really. It was an accident.

"Oh, Princess," Zen said, his eyes softening. "I'm really so sorry… I didn't mean…" his gaze broke mine and he looked away. "I know I had a fair bit to drink last night and, yeah, um, I admit this all could've been a result of… uh, user error."

My heart swelled with emotion and I immediately felt guilty. Who was I to be pointing the finger after I had almost willingly put us in the same situation last night?

"Oh Zen," I said, sighing deeply. "I'm not mad at you… God knows…" I said, my gaze breaking his this time. "I am just as guilty, if not more… I mean, I…" I blinked and blushed and a lot of things, remembering. "There was a moment there where I wasn't thinking."

Zen was massaging my fingers with his hands in the most gentle of ways. "Well," he said, hopefully, looking up. "We'll just see what happens, yeah?" He reached a hand over to cup my cheek. "Listen, babe," he said, his red eyes totally serious. "We're totally ready for this... if it even happens… We're in love, getting married, already planning to spend our whole lives together…" he paused, a slow smile taking over his features. "So what if our little girl wants to join us a bit early?"

I wanted to believe him. I really did. Then my brain flashed back suddenly to something he said.

"Little girl?" I said, my eyes narrowing, suspicious. "What do you mean 'little girl'?" Had Zen been holding out on me? Did he know something? The blank totally-caught-off-guard look on his face told me that he had. I leaned forward.

"Zen," I said, keeping my voice even. "What do you know? Did you have another psychic dream?"

Zen's gaze drifted away. "Maybe," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "But you know I'm not…"

"Come on, Zen," I said, reaching forward to put a hand on his knee. "Tell me."

Zen swung his head around to look me in the eye. "MC," he said with a tone that was dead serious. "You know it's not something I should talk about until after it happens."

I sighed. Yeah, I did know. Zen had warned me many times about the bad luck that comes with psychic dreams, especially when what he sees is shared prior to the predicted events. Zen once told me, when he was younger, he'd had a psychic dream about his mother. He'd dreamed that she was walking along a beach when she came across a pair of beautiful Chinese Crested Terns. Because Zen's mother was an avid bird watcher, Zen knew that Chinese Crested Terns were one of the rarest birds in the world. He also knew that not much was known about these mystical white birds with their bright angular beaks and wild crests made up of black plumulaceous feathers. So when Zen told his mother about the dream he had, she got very excited. Immediately, she started going on more walks than usual, and for longer. Then, finally the day came. One bright morning, she was walking on the beach when she saw two black and white figures in the distance pecking about the waves. In her elation, she broke into a run and, in her haste, failed to see a large piece of driftwood that was poking out of the sand. Zen's mother tripped over the driftwood and fell, badly spraining her ankle. As soon as she went down, the two birds lofted and flew away. She didn't even get close enough to verify that they were Chinese Crested Terns. What's more, she was in a cast for weeks.

Unfortunately, the incident with Zen's mother was not an isolated event. There was another time in school where Zen dreamed about a girl he liked getting an "A" on an important final exam. Because he'd wanted to get on her good side, maybe even impress her, he'd freely shared the information. Sure enough, a few days after the test the girl found out she did, in fact, ace the test. However, it turned out that a desperate classmate sitting across from her had copied her answers, and gotten caught. In conversation with the academic dean, the classmate claimed that Zen's friend was in on the scheme, and so she got busted, too. In the end, Zen's crush ended up with an "F" on her transcript. Zen felt he, and his damn psychic dream, was to blame.

I sighed, because now this psychic dream was about me and it was important. Even though I think I could guess by his slip up what he saw, I needed to know everything.

"But babe," I started, pulling my best puppy dog face. Zen knitted his eyebrows and frowned.

"Princess," he said, again very seriously. "Stop looking so cute right now… I mean it…"

I didn't stop and instead let one of my hands slide casually down his thigh beneath the water. He jumped.

"Hey, hey, hey,..." Zen cried. "Let's not do that, OK?"

I smiled, seductively and raised my eyebrows. My eyes said ok-then-tell-me. Zen picked up my hand and basically threw it at me.

"I am NOT going to tell you," Zen said, angrily. "In fact, I think I've said enough."

Zen stood up and stomped out of the bath. He grabbed a towel and started wrapping it around his beautiful form before I could say anything.

"This is too serious, MC," Zen said. The fact that he used my name was shocking. "Look, there's no messing around with this thing…" He held up a hand. "Just please, please don't say or ask me anything else…" and then he frowned. "It may already be too late."

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. I don't think I had ever seen Zen be so serious… or scared. Yes, he was frightened. So I nodded.

"OK," I said, softly, almost apologetically. "I'm done."

Just then the phone rang and Zen went to go answer it. I could hear him talking from the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah, hey hi Jaehee," Zen said. He had his back to me and I could see him through the open doorway. He was still wearing only the towel and I admired the way his muscles rippled from his torso to his broad shoulders. What a gorgeous man.

"OK, yeah, yeah," Zen was saying. "I didn't read them over very closely, but I got the gist of the agreement from the meeting…"

I continued to listen as I started to shave my legs.

"Yeah, he said he doesn't want me to be married, or in a relationship," Zen said. "I mean, can he even do that?"

I stiffened, causing the blade of the razor to glide at an odd angle across my shin. A thin line of red blood appeared stark against my pale skin. What? Who doesn't want us to be married?

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Zen said. "OK, then what did Kelly say?"

The wheels in my mind began to turn. OK, so they were talking business, probably about the entertainment employment contract he had to sign for the production company. My heart began to pound. All sorts of thoughts began to race through my head. I remembered Echo Girl, Zen's former co-star, who caused us a lot of problems during the filming of Zen's last television series _More Than Friends_. Echo Girl has had a crush on Zen since she was a young girl and, throughout the production, she tried to break us up at every turn. I hated to admit it, but I also got very jealous and did some things I'm not very proud of. There was no way I was going to go through any of that again.

"Yeah, Jaehee, I know," Zen said. I could hear the irritation in his voice. "Look, I don't need the I-told-you-so's right now…"

From the beginning Jaehee had advised Zen against being in a relationship. Back in the early days of the RFA, when I was planning the party, she'd outright warned me about getting involved with Zen.

"It's not good for his career," Jaehee said, via chat. "His fans prefer that he remain unattached."

I knew that when Jaehee said "fans" she most certainly also meant her. At the time, I chalked the comment up to her own jealousy. In fact, when word got out that Zen and I were an item, the fans, at least in South Korea, seem to embrace us as a celebrity couple. I pursed my lips, frowning. Couldn't they do that here?

"Not happening, Jaehee," Zen said, brusquely. "We are definitely NOT putting off the wedding…"

I sat up straight. What? OK, now I was angry. I thought that maybe Jaehee had gotten used to the idea of me and Zen as a couple, but apparently not. At least from Zen's end of the conversation it sounded like she was up to old tricks.

I pulled the plug out of the drain and stood up. I was getting in on this conversation, like now.

"Babe?" I said, wrapping a fluffy towel around my body. "What's going on?"

Zen was just hanging up the phone. He had an ugly scowl on his face, which on him somehow looked hot as hell of course.

"It was Jaehee," Zen breathed. "Talking about the contract…"  
"What's all this about putting off the wedding?" I said, folding my arms across my chest. I saw Zen's eyes flash at my chest as pressure from my arms deepened my cleavage significantly. Zen cleared his throat as his eyes darted back up to my face.

"Princess," Zen said. He crossed the room in two steps, grabbed both my hands and pulled them toward his naked chest. "Not happening, OK? There's just some… uh, stuff with the contract…"

"They don't want you to be in a relationship," I said, narrowing my eyes. "They want you to get rid of me."

"I am most certainly NOT getting rid of you, Princess," Zen said, his red eyes pleading. Then he smiled. "Look, if it's you or Broadway, it's going to be you every time."

My heart soared and sank at the same time. I didn't want him to give up his dream for me. That would never work, for either of us, and I knew it. "But…" I started.

"But nothing," Zen said, leaning down to stop all conversation with a kiss. His lips were so warm and earnest that I melted against his body. I sighed as I felt his hands slide over my shoulders, down my back, peeling the towel from my body.

"That's better," he said, softly as he picked me up easily, turned around and laid me down on the bed. My jaw dropped as his towel fell to the floor. He was already bone hard, his erection practically saluting me from the foot of the bed. My mouth watered, but Zen was already crawling over me, leaving a little trail of kisses starting from my belly button to my neck.

"So beautiful," he murmured, his hot breath in my hair. "So very fucking sexy."

I moaned as I felt his fingers already between my legs working their magic. His thumb was stroking my lips, making them slick with my wetness. My eyes rolled back in my head when he found my clit. When he started making little circles I lifted my hips off the bed to meet him.

"Oh Zen," I sighed. Funny how he had this way of making me forget, well, everything.

Zen chuckled deviously as he slipped his fingers inside my opening and began to pump, slowly at first and then faster. I was already too hot and bothered, simply writhing under his touch. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Princess?" Zen said, pulling back a bit to look at me. "Can I ask you something?"

I looked at him, surprised. Why the hell did he stop? Still, I nodded. I thought I saw his cheeks color a little and, for a moment, he looked shy.

"Look," Zen said. "I want to do something…" his eyes were hopeful and unsure, and I got curious. "Uh, you can say no…"

I sat up to look him straight in the eyes. I didn't know what he was going to ask me, but I was already damn sure I was going to say "yes".

"What is it, Zen?" I asked. I watched as my beautiful boyfriend/fiance reached over to grab his phone.

"Princess," Zen said, now his eyes were heavily lidded. "I was hoping you'd let me take some, uh…" I felt a surge of energy as his eyes roved over my exposed body. "...pictures of you?"

I gasped, looking at him, at his phone, back to him again. I was surprised that I wasn't immediately opposed to the idea. In fact, I felt myself grow more aroused under the heat of his gaze. There was something about the way he looked at me, like he wasn't just looking, but seeing me… and my body talked back, like a conversation.

"Um..." I smiled, luridly. There was also something about the thought of him wanting pictures of me, especially those kind of pictures of me. It made me feel… desired. I felt my face, and the pit of my stomach, flush with anticipation.

"I promise," Zen started, looking more hopeful in response to my reaction. His red eyes got deadly serious. "Just for me..." He looked thoughtful as he absently touched himself. "For when you're not around…"

I nodded almost imperceptibly. I couldn't take my eyes off his hand rhythmically stroking himself while drinking me in. Feeling sexy and alive, I settled myself back on the bed, tossing my head from side to side so that my hair fanned out over the pillow in a way I hope looked seductive.

"You're so hot, Princess," Zen said as he stopped touching himself long enough to focus the camera. He reached out to touch my knee, so that my legs parted a bit. "That's better," he breathed. My whole body felt electric, positively humming, as he snapped the pictures.

"Roll over on your stomach," Zen commanded, and I obeyed. I imagined the view he was seeing through the frame of the lens. My round ass, curvy and sweet. "Now look back, babe…" Zen said. "Smile at me… you know, that way that you smile at me I like."

I looked into Zen's eyes with purpose, penetrating deeply, trying to pierce his very soul. "I love you, Ryu Hyun," I whispered, enjoying the flush of his expression at the sound of his true name on my lips.

"Aw, man…" Zen said in such a way that I knew I had him fully under my power. Without taking his eyes off me, Zen carefully placed his phone on the bedside table. Then, he opened the drawer and pulled out a condom.

"Say it again," Zen said as he tore open the package and rolled the condom down over his very erect length. His eyes were low, beast-like.

"Ryu Hyun," I whispered as tantalizingly as possible. "I love you, Ryu Hyun."

The words worked like a secret password and Zen pounced on me like a lion. "And I love you, Princess," Zen said softly, touching his nose to mine. "Always and forever… You are my dream come true."

I closed my eyes remembering that, yes, I was his dream come true. Once upon a time, before he'd even met me, he had a psychic dream about me. I knew I didn't need a psychic dream to know that he was everything I ever wanted. My own dream.

"And you are mine…" I whispered back.

With that Zen put his lips to mine and he kissed me, long and deep. With each motion of our mouths moving together, he penetrated me more deeply and I responded, digging my nails into the small of his back. I felt it as his hand reached down between his legs. I sucked in a breath of anticipation as he positioned himself at my entrance. He paused for what seemed like an eternity before plunging himself inside. I felt myself close around his length and then we started to move, like we belonged together, like we had always belonged together.

"Mmmm…" Zen groaned. His hands were stroking the length of my body, pressing my ass into his groin with every thrust.

"Oh… Uh…" I said, feeling my eyes roll back into my head. Zen knew my body so well at this point it was no contest, not even fair how good he could make me feel.

"Beautiful, Princess," Zen said, and I saw out of the corner of my eye that he had his phone in hand again. Somehow he was snapping pictures… or video... while still giving me the ride of my life.

"Zen," I gasped. "Are you…?"

Then all the sudden I was cuming. Something wild about having this all on camera, the dirty sensationalist nature of it all, along with Zen's careful ministrations drove me over the edge.

"That's it, pretty girl," Zen said, his eyes blazing. "I got you… Cum for me, baby, please."

I bucked my hips in response to his movements and I did, cum. Maybe harder than ever before.

"Aw, man," Zen said as I heard his phone drop to the floor with a thump. "Oh, MC, oh Princess…"

A few thrusts later, Zen was cumming, too, losing himself completely.

When it was over, we lay there, our heads pressed together and panting. Suddenly, I pushed him off me, with I'm sure was a wild look in my eye.

"Oh my god," I started, throwing the sheets off to expose his groin. "Did it…?"

Zen, catching my drift, looked down and examined himself immediately. He smiled as he pulled off the rubber, expertly tossing it into a trash basket in the corner. "No worries, babe," Zen said. "We're all good."

I smiled, touching Zen's cheek with fondness. More than anything, I was looking forward to getting back home and resuming planning for the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Thanks (always) for reading and commenting... Your feedback helps motivate me to keep writing and determine the direction for the story!


	7. Dress You Up For My Love

It was hard to believe that nearly three weeks had passed since our plane touched back down in Seoul after our amazing trip to New York City. Just before we left, Zen found out that the American director, Franz Alderman was more than anxious to start the production of Wallace on Broadway. In fact, he made it part of the contract to insist that Zen be back in the states and ready to start rehearsals in just six weeks time. That didn't leave much time to plan a wedding. Luckily, the RFA, spearheaded by the tireless Jaehee, had stepped up to help with the task of preparations for the event. Jumin, of course, had also insisted on footing the bill, and with so little time and everything being so much more expensive on short notice, Zen didn't have much choice but to agree.

"I just hate having one more thing for that Trust Fund Kid to hold over my head," Zen said, angrily the morning after we'd agreed to take Jumin up on his offer. Zen was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, raking his long silver hair with a brush with what appeared to be a vengeance. I reached up to grab the offending instrument.

"Hey, hey," I said, placing a calm hand on Zen's shoulder. "Don't take it out on your hair… Let me…" I felt Zen's smooth muscles relax under my hand as I motioned for him to sit on the toilet seat opposite me and I began to brush his hair. It was so soft and I inhaled the citrusy sage scent of the name brand shampoo and deep conditioner that kept his locks in top notch condition.

"It's just…" Zen sputtered, and I could sense him getting worked up all over again. "Look, I know you deserve a wedding fit for a princess…" Zen's gaze darkened and he scowled. "I just hate it that I can't be the one to give it to you." Quickly I rapped him on the shoulder with the brush in reprove.

"Zen, but you _are_ giving me stuff," I said, purposely placing a kiss on the top of his head. "You're giving me the most important stuff... More than any stupid wedding… You're giving me a life."

Zen spun me around and pulled me down on his lap. His red eyes had that hopeful sad puppy dog look to them.

"Really, Princess?" Zen said, pulling my face to his so our foreheads touched. I nodded and then he sighed. "Aw man, what did I do to deserve you?"

I felt a slow smile creep across my face as I let that memory continue to play out in my head... In fact I got so lost in delicious thoughts that I jumped when I felt Jaehee's cold fingers on my shoulder bringing me back to reality.

"MC?" Jaehee said. When I blinked and turned my head I could see her peering at me over her glasses.

"Um, uh, yeah?" I said, suddenly remembering where I was. The overwhelming colors of white, off-white and the glimmer of light shimmering off of rhinestone, bead and satin of Seoul's premier bridal boutique were almost too much to bear. Jaehee had insisted that this was the place to find the perfect wedding dress.

"I would ask you what you were thinking about, but something tells me I don't want to know," Jaehee said with a little edge to her voice. Although I know Jaehee had pretty much come to accept me, I had my moments when I still wondered how much she resented my relationship with Zen. Was it really just concern over what having a girlfriend, not to mention a wife, would do to his career? Or was it that Jaehee really just wanted Zen all to herself? As I watched her flip through the pages of the _Bride Now_ book of dress designs, I reckoned it was a bit of both. There she was, quickly paging through the strapless, backless and basically the sexier options in favor of the full coverage gowns.

"How about this one?" Jaehee said, pointing a stiff finger at a gown with a neckline that could only be described as a turtle neck of lace. I felt my face pull into a frown as I noticed that the neck wasn't the only appendage thus obscured from view.

"Um, I…" I said, trying to drum up the courage to voice my opinion, but Jaehee cut me off before I could muster word one.

"Oh, MC," Jaehee said, reproachfully. "You know how Zen values modesty in a girl…and you also know that this wedding is for him, as well as for yourself."

I sighed, rolling my eyes. It was true. My wardrobe was a constant battleground for me and Zen. Me always wanting to show a little more. Zen always fighting for a little less because of the, you know, now infamous "other guys."

I started to open my mouth again, all ready to start in about how a marriage is a compromise, and blahdy, blahdy, but Jaehee was already calling a sales clerk over. As I watched a matronly looking woman shuffle in our direction, I couldn't help but feel myself longing for Paulie, the flamboyant clerk from the designer shop in New York who helped me find my dream outfit in spite of Zen's objections. The salesperson was carrying a clipboard and her lips were pursed into a permanent frown. Not a shred of her suggested the idea of romance and I wondered, just for a split second, if getting married was really the best move for me.

"Yes?" The woman said as soon as she was within ear shot. "May I help you?"

I tried to look around the woman's heavy shoulder, to see if perhaps there was someone else available to help us in the shop, but I couldn't see anything beyond the endless racks of bridal couture. I sighed as I watched Jaehee flip the pages and point to a variety of, in my opinion, tasteless and matronly gowns. My heart sunk as I watched the salesperson bob her approval. Unfortunately, I could see that Jaehee and this salesperson were well on their way to becoming fast friends.

"Excellent, excellent choices," the salesperson beamed. "Obviously you are a person of taste…"

"I like to think so," Jaehee replied in response, and then the two of them disappeared into a sea of dresses, leaving me to contemplate my fate. No, I thought, shaking away thoughts of me getting mistaken for the Virgin Mary at my own wedding. I will not let that happen. Quickly, I flipped out my phone and hit Seven on speed dial. He picked up on the very first ring.

"Ya?" Seven's boisterous voice filled my ear at such volume I had to hold the phone an inch or so away from my head. "MC? Is that you? To what do I deem the pleasure?"

Quickly I explained the situation. Seven, often my partner in crime for various nefarious deeds, was certainly my best bet under these circumstances. He was without a doubt the only one of the RFA I could reliably count on to help me procure the wedding dress of my dreams.

"Hmm, I see…" Seven kept saying as he listened to my ordeal. I could hear him munching mercilessly on Honey Buddha Chips in the background. "Sounds like a problem."

"You think?" I said, throwing one hand up in the air for emphasis. "Look, I'm only getting married once, and you know, I think I need to have a say in how it goes down…"

"You know Zen is going to side with Jaehee…" Seven started.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes in frustration. "Don't I know it! Zen and all his fucking worrying about 'all the other guys'...all the fucking time..."

Seven laughed freely. "Well, you know," he said and I could picture his yellow eyes dancing. "Not a problem you would have had, had you chosen _me_."

I felt my breath catch in my throat. This wasn't something that I liked to think about, those early days in the chat room when, as Zen claims, everyone was "some level of 'in like' with me". I felt my cheeks burn with an awkward blush.

"Uh, well, I…" I said, stuttering and unsure as to what to say. I mean, wasn't Seven full-on in love with Lexi-Ann now? Luckily, Seven interrupted me with some nervous laughter.

"Ah, come on, MC," he said, chuckling. "I'm just KIDDING. God, I think your basic problem is that you're just taking things too seriously…"

I breathed a sigh of relief as Seven launched into half a dozen ideas about how to handle the situation, everything from burning down the _Bride Now_ shop and blaming it on a jilted bride left at the altar scenario to something else I found rather useful and intriguing.

"Well…" Seven said, airily. "You did say that you wished this Paulie person were here to advise you…well then why don't you just call him?"

The idea was so raw and apparent I touched my hand to my chest. Of course. It was an idea so simple I didn't even need Seven's help, not really.

"Yes," I said with a feeling of certainty I hadn't felt since I'd been back in Seoul. "I will call him." Then I smiled into the phone. "Oh, and Seven?"

"Mmmm?" Seven said.

"Thanks," I said, feeling so, so lucky to have him as a friend. As I hung up, I watched as Jaehee re-emerged from the sea of dresses with the matronly salesperson. They were both in a flutter and each had an arm full of dresses that towered high above both their less than statuesque frames. I smiled. Wow. I was, in fact, lucky to have them all, the whole of the RFA, as friends. Each one of them had their own particular gifts and foibles, none of them worth more or less than the other. Each and every one of them was both necessary and dear to me. My own semi-adopted family.

"MC," Jaehee said, waving a head-to-toe number with a dropped waist and added wrap around cape. "This one will suit you perfectly…"

I smiled, shaking my head and then swallowed my pride as I took that hideous dress into the dressing room. I was determined to keep an open mind and to try to put my best foot forward. For my friend.

\--- 

When I got back to Zen's apartment later, I poured myself a tall glass of sparkling water. There was a half-empty bottle of rose left over in the refrigerator, but you know. I sighed. After yet another full day of still no sign of my period, I was feeling ever more so wary of things that might hurt a potential pregnancy. Things like alcohol, for instance.

I touched my stomach lightly and looked down at the basically flat, same looking curve of flesh that rested under my hand. Yeah, I was late now by at least a week… but at the same time, that wasn't altogether uncommon for me. To be fair, I wasn't even really that sure that the first day of my last menstrual period had even really occurred the day after Jumin and Mi-Sun's lawn party.

I glanced over at the bag of shopping I purchased earlier. After trying on dresses for what seemed like hours at the bridal shop and checking my underwear pretty much obsessively between each dress change, I decided to stop by the pharmacy and pick up a pregnancy test. It was time, I reasoned. All the reading I'd done online said that over-the-counter pregnancy tests could predict pregnancy with accuracy after one week after a missed period, or two weeks after an incident of unprotected sex. One thing I was sure of, it had been exactly three weeks since the condom broke when Zen and I had sex.

I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since it happened, actually. In fact, I'd even become more hyper aware in certain situations. Just yesterday, I saw a mom on the subway navigating a double stroller down the crowded aisle. They were two little boys, as far as I could tell, dark and adorable with matching button noses, no doubt twins. The serene moment of cuteness ended abruptly, though, when one child woke up and grabbed a fistful of his brother's hair. Soon they were both wailing and the mom, well, she was still trying to find a place to park the stroller long enough to attend to them. I will never forget the look on her face. She was distraught, sad, forlorn and yet determined. Yeah, even with all those people staring at her, possibly passing judgement on her predicament, she was making it work. I watched in awe while, without stopping the stroller, she finally reached deep into her pocket and pulled out a pacifier.

"Here you go, Charlie," she cooed, reaching around and finding the child's pug face like she had eyes on her hands. "You know you don't want to do that to your brother."

I glanced again at the bag of shopping I'd left on the table. Yes, I thought. It was time. I needed to know. Was I going to find myself in a similar predicament as that woman anytime soon? No more time for guessing.

Just then I heard a key in the lock and, a moment later, Zen's lithe body was making its way through the door.

"Hey babe," he said, a lurid grin on his face. "Man, are you a sight for sore eyes…"

I was suddenly conscious of the plain grey yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt I was wearing. Wow, leave it to Zen to find this sort of outfit alluring. I smiled and rose, rushing to greet him.

"Hi, babe," I breathed, planting a kiss on his lips. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, babe," Zen said, pulling back to regard me once again. "Did you have a healthy lunch?"

I shivered as Zen ran a hand expertly from my shoulder to my waist, tracing my curves like a well-known, well-beloved trail of endearment. I could tell by the look in his eye and the way he was touching me that he was well on the way to, well, you know… but tonight, well, I was distracted, and he could tell.

"What is it, Princess?" Zen said, his red eyes probing and curious. "Aren't you…?" I sighed.

"It isn't that," I said, in answer to his question. I rolled my eyes. Living with a narcissist had its own level of annoyances. Of course I always wanted him. Who wouldn't always, always want Zen? I glanced over at the bag of shopping on the table. Zen followed my gaze.

"Oh," Zen said, realizing. "It's time, is it?" I nodded, smiling at the fact that he was getting better about not always thinking everything was about him. Zen encircled me with both his arms, penetrating me with his gaze. "You realize none of this makes a difference," he said. His focus was 100 percent on me and I loved him for it. "You know I love you regardless."

"I know..." I said, looking up at him with my puppy dog eyes. "But what if… I mean, I… uh, I don't want to be…"

"What, Princess?" Zen stated, his eyes darting up and down with concern. "Just say it." I bit my bottom lip, feeling genuinely embarrassed about what I was going to say next, and also ashamed about how much it mattered to me.

"Zen," I breathed, feeling my cheeks grow hot. "I don't want to be uh, um… to look uh, um… pregnant… uh, in my wedding dress…"

I watched as relief washed over Zen's face. "Oh babe!" Zen said with a grin the size of Manhattan. "You won't… uh, gosh, I don't care if you do, but honestly, it would be so early that you wouldn't…" His eyes were darting all over my face in such a way that I realized he was also beyond the point of allowing this to remain an unknown, maybe proposition. I stood up and made a move toward my shopping on the table.

"OK, then," I said. "Let's do this…"

Zen nodded as I retrieved the shopping bag and headed off in the direction of the bedroom and the bathroom beyond.

"Princess?" Zen said. I could hear him calling from behind me. "Can I….?" I turned around to see his hopeful silver head peering around the bedroom door frame.

"You want to come watch me pee on a stick?" I said, grinning like I was maybe five.

"Um, well, yeah," Zen said, hopefully. "I'm ok, if you think that's weird…"

Something big and warm turned inside me as I watched him looking at me. Yeah, of course it was a little weird, but truth be told I wanted him there with me, holding my hand.

"Come on, then," I said, smiling and extending a hand.

We folded ourselves into the tiny bathroom, Zen perching himself on the side of the porcelain tub while I sat on the toilet. With shaky fingers, I started to unwrap one of the two home pregnancy tests I bought, laying the pieces on the counter of the sink. I scanned the directions.

"Seems pretty straight forward," I said, after a minute or so reading them. The pictures indicated that I pee on the stick and then stick into the other piece of the stick and lay it flat. In less than two minutes we'd know, by indication of a "plus" or a "minus" whether we were soon to be parents. Zen reached out to grab one of my hands.

"No matter what, Princess," Zen said with a firm look. "I mean it."

My hands shook a little more as I tore open the package that contained the stick. "I know," I said. I felt tears stinging the backs of my eyes and my voice caught in my throat. "I just, I uh…" I didn't know how to tell him about the woman I saw on the subway. I didn't even know how to think about all the things that I was feeling, about not feeling prepared, about trying to remember my own mother and not knowing what kind of mother I would be…

"You'll be great…" Zen said, as if reading my mind. "We both don't know…I mean, you already know my family situation was, uh, less than ideal... and, well, we'll both figure it out." Zen looped his long fingers in mine and then pulled me close to his chest. "Plus, you know there's value added in knowing what not to do…"

We both laughed a little then and I thought, wow, if we could be laughing together at a time like this then maybe everything really was going to be ok.

"You are really something, you know that?" I said, as our laughter died down.

"Always a party," Zen quipped.

"Yeah," I said, reaching up to touch his cheek. "You do know you're the whole show, right?"

Looking into Zen's gorgeous face, I felt something tingle deep in my belly, like a tiny glimmer of hope. Then I smiled, feeling somehow forever sure. He was always there for me, and I would always be there for him. We would always be there for each other and whoever else came along. It really was going to be ok. I took a deep breath and felt some of the pent up fear leave my body.

"OK," I said, removing the rest of the plastic paper to reveal the stick. "OK…"

Zen let me go long enough to crouch over the toilet bowl and position the pro-offered stick between my legs. I tried to think of waterfalls and, when the pee finally started flowing, I navigated the stick into the stream. Zen kept one hand on my back the entire time, rubbing up and down with a reassuring movement.

"Imagine…." I wondered aloud. "You used to have to go to the doctor for this…"

"Mmm…" Zen nodded. "The miracles of modern science…"

Feeling that the tip of the stick was sufficiently saturated, I put the cap on the stick and then reached for my phone to set a timer for two minutes. Zen stuck out a hand.

"No, I got it, Princess," he said, already typing the digits into the phone. "You just relax."

Wow, I thought, realizing that two minutes can be a really freaking long time. The panic in my eyes must have been evident because Zen reached for me.

"Come here, babe," Zen said, pulling my face to his. I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in the kiss. The familiar fullness of his lips, the probative tongue, the singularity of his taste… it was somehow, as always, altogether new with a comforting sameness that stoked the heat of my desire on impulse. Soon I was pulling on the edges of his shirt, wanting to feel the contours of his muscles underneath. Then all of the sudden the calmative alert of electronic chimes filled the space. The two minutes were up and the timer was going off. Reluctantly, we pulled apart, brought back to reality and the essential question at hand: Were we going to be parents?

Shyly, I pushed a lock of brown hair behind my ear and retrieved the stick from the counter.

"Let's look together," Zen said, putting his hand over mine to obscure the stick. "On the count of three…" I nodded. "One… two… three…"

When Zen released his hand I didn't have time to know what I expected but the result was immediate. Visible was a clear pink "plus" sign, not faint at all, and perhaps brazen in its rosy hue of certainty.

"Oh wow," Zen breathed, and oh my god, he was smiling. "Babe!" He said, looking up in a way I might describe as hardly containing his glee. "Oh my god," he continued. Zen was smiling, but there were also tears eeking out both corners of his eyes. He reached out and grabbed both of my hands in earnest. "Oh my god, MC," he cried. "I was so afraid... I thought that… well, you know, since I told you about the dream that…"

I got it all at once. Of course, the psychic dream, the one he wasn't supposed to tell me about. Zen was afraid he'd jinxed the pregnancy and now of course this was the first suggestion that it didn't. My hand fluttered again to my stomach, which still looked the same, the same, the same, but admittedly felt different now.

"I… uh…" I started, feeling filled with all sorts of feelings I didn't feel like I had the capacity, let alone the language, to identify. "Oh god, wow…"

Zen captured me around the waist with both arms. "Oh Princess," he said. "I love you so much… We are going to be PARENTS..."

The look on Zen's face was breathtaking and he was absolutely filled with glee. He was kind of floating and sparkling all at the same time. I don't think I'd ever seen him so happy. Not when he found out about Broadway. Not when I'd agreed to marry him.

Then all of the sudden Zen's red eyes got very serious. Stepping closer, he picked me up and cuddled me to his torso in a way that was strong, delicate and sure. "I promise," he breathed into my hair. "I'm going to take care of you, and now her," he said, putting a hand on my stomach. "...for always…"

Then Zen stood up, turned and navigated me toward the bed.

"You're so beautiful…" Zen said, as he sat me down gently on the edge of the bed. Carefully, he lifted the sweatshirt over my head and exposed my bare nipples, hard and pink to his lips. I felt my back arch in response to his warm lips and lay back on the pillows. I closed my eyes as Zen's soft, gentle kisses made their way south on my body.

"You're so beautiful, too…" Zen whispered when he got to my belly button. I felt a surge of love for Zen and for the little one growing inside me. Hot tears sprung to my eyes. We were finally, finally going to be a real family.

\--- 

The next morning, I was trying to find a way to talk to Zen about my wedding dress.

"So, babe…" I started, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "I know how you feel about my clothes…"

Zen turned from the mirror where he was shaving. He was wearing nothing but a towel and a questioning look on his face. "Wait, how do I feel about your clothes?" Zen said with an air of disbelief. "What the heck are you talking about, babe?"

I sighed. That was the other thing about Zen and my clothes. He liked to micromanage and worry about my wardrobe and then he'd get selective amnesia about it later and never remember he'd ever had a problem with it in the first place.

"I don't care what you wear," Zen said, looking truly puzzled. "I mean, you look GREAT in…" I watched the features of his face change as what appeared to be a montage of me in different past outfits flashed through his mind. Then he smiled luridly "Well, to be honest, you look great in everything."

Without a word, I decided to put him to the test. Let's see just how free I am to make my own choices about outfits. I had just gotten out of the shower, dried off and slathered on some lotion. I walked over to the bureau and pulled out a pair of black lace panties. With my back to Zen, I watched out of the corner of my eye as he watched me step into the lace and slide them neatly up over my hips. I smiled as I heard his breath hitch… God he was so predictable! Then I made my way to the closet. Reaching in toward the very back I pulled out a bright tangerine colored halter dress. It hit mid-thigh and was backless. The neckline was generous and low, and featured well my ample bosom and tattoo. Inside my head I counted to three and then spun around.

Zen's gaze was glued to my chest and his mouth was slack. "Uh, Princess…" He began in a low, sultry voice. Like I said, so predictable! "Don't you think…"

"Don't I think what?" I said, taking a step toward him with a firm don't-mess-with-me look on my face. "Do I think you have a problem with what I'm wearing? Do I think you need to say something about that?"

Zen took a step back and threw up his hands. "Oh, oh," he said, shaking his head. "I see what you're trying to do… What you just did there…"

"What did I just do there, Zen?" I said, mockingly. "Did I just SHOW YOU how much you care about my clothes… how you try to micromanage my look and…"

Zen looked appalled. "Micro-what?" he said, his red eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Are you crazy?"

"Um, I don't know," I said, cocking my head to one side, you know, to be cocky. "Should we see what 'the other guys' have to say about it?"

"Oh, I see," Zen said, opting for a sour tone. "So this is about 'the other guys'..." he scowled, knitting his brows together in frustration. "Well, excuse me for caring about YOU... For wanting to look after YOU."

I crossed my arms firmly across my chest. "Well, Zen, did you ever maybe stop to think that I could take care of myself?" I said, angrily. Wow, this really wasn't going well.

Zen stood there looking at me, regarding me actually with what I could only call a curious look on his face. "Princess," he said, finally, lowering his voice and going back to his regular tone. His eyes grew soft and he spoke slowly. "What is going on with you?"

The look on Zen's face… Well, it looked like he was so desperately trying to understand that my heart about melted. I felt my resolve and my anger weaken. Seeing an opening, Zen took a step forward and took me by both hands.

"Seriously, Princess," Zen said. His look was penetrating me. "What is it that you want?"

I swallowed. There were tears welling up in my eyes. God, why did he have to be so sweet NOW, when I NEEDED to be angry with him.

"Come on, Babe," Zen said, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of my face. "You can tell me. "What is it? What do you need?"

The tears started to flow freely down both sides of my face now as I collapsed against his chest.

"My own wedding dress," I murmured finally, into his smooth porcelain god chest. "I need to choose it myself."

Suddenly I felt Zen's chest start to shake and I pulled back. Was he laughing? He was laughing!

"Why the hell are you laughing?" I said, angrily, crossing my arms over my chest again. "Not funny, Zen. Not even."

"Oh, but come on, Princess," Zen said. There were tiny tears pooling around the creases of his eyes. "Of course you can choose your own dress! Wherever did you get the idea that you couldn't?"

I shook my head angrily. Damn. Damn it all. It was like talking in circles. He just didn't get it, just didn't see what an ASS he could be sometimes.

"Did I just not put on this dress and almost get the 'but-babe-what-about-the-other-guys' thing?!" My eyes grew larger with rage as Zen doubled over with even more laughter at the sound of my impression of him.

"Oh what fucking ever!" I shouted as I stomped out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind me. My blood was boiling. I was seething. I could feel the heat rising off the surface of my body. Damn, I was ready to explode.

Then the doorbell rang. It sounded so out of the ordinary, almost like it was coming from outer space that I froze until it rang again.

"Hey, babe?" Zen called from the bedroom. "Could you get that?"

Slowly, I broke out of my reverie and approached the door. When I opened it my mouth dropped to the floor because, guess who was standing there? It was Seven... with Paulie the New York designer in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the only stint between updates...I usually don't like to go that long, but things got busy. Thanks (as always) for reading, commenting, etc.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm back with book 2! I have a lot of ideas and am looking forward to their new adventures. Always, though, happy to hear from you... I love hearing your input and getting your feedback. Thanks (always) for reading, commenting, reviewing, etc.


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